Plus One
by Runner043
Summary: Another in my series of Flangell re-writes, featuring Kono. Kono goes missing and Chin thinks it has something to do with the Yakuza, which Adam disputes. But what do Steve and Danny think? Get your your tuxes and gowns ready, because Five-0 is invited to HPD's annual Winter Ball, hosted by the Governor.
1. Speaking Jersey

Welcome to another one of my Flangell re-writes, which comes from chapter 11 of my story "Flangellized". As always, this stories center around Kono. It will also include a lot of Adam.

"Plus One" includes HPD's annual Winter Ball, a fundraiser for families of officers who have died in the line of duty. Local hotels, restaurants, and florists all vie for the privilege of donating their goods and services for this event, as it is well publicized and hosted by the Governor. Funds raised from from ticket sales provide college scholarships to children of fallen officers.

Ikaika Paula, from my previous story "The Boots", will return several chapters in as the annoying chauvinistic cop who's got a thing for Kono.

***** "Plus One" *****  
***** Chapter 1 "Speaking Jersey" *****

* * *

MCGARRETT HOUSE...

Steve had heard Danny's car pull up long before the Detective had entered his house, without knocking, again. Without breaking his gaze from Catherine, who was currently out on the beach behind his house, Steve could sense that Danny was now pacing behind him, back and forth, just inside the patio door. Although there was no sound other than the soft footfalls, he could tell that his partner was on the phone. Steve knew that Danny would say that his Spidy senses were up, which may be true, given all the lies he knew Doris was feeding him lately. No, he still couldn't bring himself to call her 'mom', and yes, he knew some shit was going to hit the fan when the truth finally came out. Yeah, Spidy senses were a good thing. He toyed with the coffee cup in his hands as he continued to watch Catherine from the lanai.

A few minutes later Danny stepped outside with a cup of coffee he had obviously helped himself to. He slid the patio door closed behind him, and soon both men stood side by side facing the ocean. A full silent minute had passed and it was still there. A grin. There was an unmistakable grin on Danny's face.

"What's with the face?" Steve finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

"'The face'?" Danny groused, as he turned towards his partner for the first time. "I don't do 'faces', Steven. That would be you."

"Alright." Steve conceded, finally turning towards the other man. "What's got you grinning? What's so funny? What got your day off to such a good start? Just take your pick and answer." He attempted again.

But Danny didn't answer. He just shook his head, took a sip of his coffee, and turned back towards the water, returning is forearms to rest on the railing.

Okay, Steve could do this. He could be as patient as the next man. Okay, that wasn't true. But, he was sure he could learn patience, if he wanted to, which he didn't. At least not now.

"Da-"

"No, Steven." Danny simply stated as both men were now watching Catherine. "Yoga, huh." He said. It wasn't really a question.

"Mhmm." Steve mumbled in confirmation, as the two simultaneously tipped their heads to the right, following Catherine's movements.

"She's rather, um,... flexible." Danny said, after carefully considering the appropriate adjective.

"She finds it relaxing." Steve stated, as they now both tipped their heads to the left.

"Turning ones self into a pretzel is relaxing, huh?" Danny said, accompanied by full hand motions now that his coffee cup was empty. "I, personally, would find that rath-"

"Ooh!" Both men suddenly grimaced at seeing her do a move that most all men tend find rather... uncomfortable.

At that moment Steve's phone rang. "McGarrett." He answered. The call didn't take long, then he announced, "We've got a case."

* * *

ACROSS TOWN...

The scene was, well, 'awkward' was the general consensus. The apartment was just a one room studio with a door to the bathroom and another to a closet, otherwise everything was in that one room, including, of course, the bed the dead couple was in. But that wasn't the 'awkward' part, no that would be because all the covers were on the floor, leaving the naked couple that had obviously been too wrapped up in their lovemaking to notice a killer,... well, let's just say that if they had only known they were about to die, they wouldn't have kicked all the covers onto the floor.

Chin and Kono stood just inside the door, nearly shoulder to shoulder in the small space, their backs towards the dead couple. Officers were stationed at each end of the hallway to keep neighbors and those that were just nosy or those just wanting to gawk as far away as possible.

Kono gave a heavy sigh. "I just wish we could cover them up." She huffed out, keeping her back to them. "Give them some,... dignity, at least."

"Yeah, me, too, Cuz. But it could disturb evidence." Chin said, also keeping his back to them.

"Hopefully Max will be here soon." Kono said, then paused. "Hey, Cuz,... everything okay?" She asked, since they had time to kill while they waited.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine." He answered. She nodded. "You're not buying that, are you?" He finally asked with a sideways glance, then watched as she just shook her head. He took a deep breath and was about to speak when Steve and Danny showed up.

"No, Steven. For the hundredth time, I will not tell you." They could hear Danny say as he came into view at the far end of the hall, Steve hot on his heels.

"Why, Danny? Why? Just tell me why you won't tell me." Steve whined. Yes, the big bad Navy SEAL was whining. Like a little kid not getting his way. He was definitely losing his battle over this curiosity thing.

"Well, I could pull a you and say 'It's classified'." Danny said with a smirk. "Would that get you to stop asking." He asked, as he now stood still. Well, his feet were still, but his hands, definitely not.

"No." Steve answered, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, tough. Because I'm not going to tell you. You won't get it anyway." Danny said as he began walking again.

"Won't get it?" Steve inquired, now following after his partner.

"Won't get it." Danny repeated.

"Why wo-"

"Because, Steven!" Danny said as the two stopped in front of the apartment door where Chin and Kono stood watching them. Exasperation clear in Danny's tone. Yes, Danny definitely had a 'tone' at this point, and Steve knew it. Danny had been putting up with this the entire drive over, their little back and forth even leading to a cargument. And now, Steve just wouldn't stop, and Danny did not want a hallgument to take place. "Okay. Okay, since you are having trouble hearing this morning, let me try again, and re-phrase my answer in the form of a question." Danny paused, making sure he had his partner's full attention.

"Okay." Steve said with a smirk, finally feeling like he had not only won the battle, but was finally about to get his curiosity satisfied. Yeah, he'd have to work on this curiosity thing some other time.

"What is 'fazzule'?" Danny asked, then saw the perplexed look on his partner's face. The perplexed look he fully expected. Without waiting for the answer he knew Steve couldn't give him, he asked, "No? Okay, what about this one; What is a 'spinello'?" He paused only briefly this time, "No again? Okay, what about a 'micelli's' or a 'goumad'? Oh, I know, you ever been to a 'cloob', maybe had an 'o-slurry'?" The Jersey man quickly rattled off.

"Danny." Was all Steve said.

"What did I tell you? Huh?" Danny asked with a shrug. "I told you that you wouldn't get it. Now, one more time, and pay attention." He paused again, making sure he had eye contact, again, "You, Steven, may speak many languages from your globe-trotting days as a SEAL, but you, do not... I repeat, you do not, speak Jersey."

"Speak Jersey?" Steve said, his face scrunched up. Oh yeah, Danny would definitely have a new face to name.

"That's right. You do not speak Jersey. Therefore, you would not- Whoa!" Danny stated from the doorway, as soon as he got a glimpse of the dead couple, all thoughts of the Jersey joke, that the SEAL would not understand, now far from his mind. Of course it didn't help that the dead couple's feet were towards the doorway, giving a full view of the dead husband's derriere.

"Oh geez." Steve mumbled as he dropped his gaze. "No wonder the officers are stationed clear down at the ends of the hall." He added, as Chin and Kono moved aside to let them fully enter.

"I guess the first photo Charlie should take is the smile on his face. What a way to go." Danny lightly teased.

"Danny." The other three chastised in unison.

"Well, ya gotta admit that if they'd at least heard the perp coming, they would have, ya know,... stopped." Danny justified with a smirk.

"Let's just hope Charlie gets here soon to collect the evidence so Max can get the bodies out of here." Steve said.

"Okay. Well," Danny began, rubbing his hands together, then cleared his throat as he forced himself to focus, "in the meantime, it's obvious that there are stab wounds on the husband's back, at least four. Since he's on top, it's most likely that he was killed first." He suggested.

"Poor lady. Trapped underneath her dead husband like that while the killer pulls the knife out, only to use it to slit her throat." Kono stated.

"Unless,... unless it was a different knife." Steve stated, his chin resting in his hand as he was deep in thought.

"What makes you think that, Steve?" Chin asked.

Steve bent lower to take a closer look at the wife's slit throat before answering, "Yeah. Definitely a different knife. Shorter blade, single edged." He clarified.

"So, I hear we have a copulating couple waiting for us." Max stated from the doorway. No one but Steve having heard his nearly silent arrival.

Five-0 was grateful for the the coroner's arrival, but it was Chin and Kono who were quick-thinking enough to speak up first. "Ya know, it's kinda crowded in here. I think we'll just wait out in the hall to give Max more room to work."

"Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way." Danny smirked with a wave as he watched the two take the few steps necessary to exit the crime scene.

Kono turned to make eye contact with Steve, "It's only fair. Right, brah?" She said, her dimpled smile turning into a smirk.

Steve rolled his eyes as his own words came back to bite him. Yeah, okay, he deserved that.

"So, you ready to tell me now?" Kono asked her cousin almost immediately, their previous stance taken up again, but this time just outside just the apartment's doorway.

Chin looked around, making sure they had privacy before answering, "It's just that, ... ya know, maybe we shouldn't have this conversation here." Which earned him a glare. He reluctantly started to continue, but Charlie was arriving at that moment.

"Hey, guys." He greeted them as he pocketed his phone, then looked up as Chin and Kono moved aside. "Whoa! Dispatch didn't say anything about that! I was just told to hitch a ride with Max so I could help process a scene."

"Oh good, Charlie, I see you found the extra body bag we will be needing. Please, come with me." Max said, putting an arm around the young man's shoulder and leading him into the room, "Now, I'm going to grab one of his ankles and you're going to grab the other one, and together we're going to pull until-"

Chin and Kono had to hold back a laugh as Charlie bolted back out of the room. "That's not funny, Max." Charlie sternly stated with nothing short of a glare at the M.E. Steve and Danny could be heard laughing from inside the apartment.

Max followed Charlie back out into the hallway. "You do realize, of course, that I am kidding. Right? Because, technically, once blood flow stops it would be impossible for a man to maintain an-"

Chin and Kono walked away as Max's explanation made Charlie's face a darker crimson. And judging from the sounds of Charlie's reaction, Max had succeeded. His quirky style of giving an explanation accompanied by a straight face,... well, they both felt sorry for Charlie at the moment.

"Let's go see if any more neighbor's have come home since HPD canvassed the first time." Kono said, "Then, we're going to finish our conversation."

* * *

And there you have the first chapter. Lots of ideas for stories, or even just scenes, have been floating around in my head, and I'm hoping to use several of them in this story without it seeming disjointed at all. Hopefully, I'll pull it off.

btw - the Jersey slang terms I included were what I found via Google.

Chapter 2, tentatively titled "Leather vs. Butterfish" will be up soon. I have a feeling that there will be lots of strange titles to this story.

Please, keep my muse happy and leave a review before you go.


	2. Photos

Here's chapter 2, "Photos"

A/N: Special Agent Thomas is the name I made up for Chin's FBI friend.  
And Lili is the name I made up for Adam's house keeper.

A/N: Honolulu Star-Advertiser is indeed the largest newspaper on O'ahu, at least according to Google.

A/N: For the sake of my story, Adam is Japanese (father's side) and Korean-American (mother's side).

A/N: Shoken is Japanese for 'view'

A/N: I'm hoping you all remember the part where Kono helped HPD's SWAT Team in my last story "Diamonds Aren't Always A Girl's Best Friend"... because it's this scene – that image - that I will be making reference to. Here's a quick recap, in case you need it;

_Kono quickly worked herself into a jump suit. She secured her side arm before the SWAT guy started handing her additional weapons for every slot and pocket the jump suit had. She was securing a bullet belt over her shoulder when... She picked up her rifle and walked away, dressed in head-to-toe black and laden with sniper gear, just like the SWAT members accompanying her. She had a job to do._

_Kono descended the stairs and took to the street with the SWAT team as they headed back the way they had come earlier...She rested her rifle on her should and continued the trek._

Chapter 2, "Photos"

THE RIDE BACK TO HQ (Chin is driving)...

Text from Adam: You think poster size is too big?

Text from Kono: Huh?

Text from Adam: Picture of you.

Text from Kono: Why?

Text from Adam: Need new décor in my office.

Text from Kono: Yes.

Text from Adam: Yes what?

Text from Kono: Yes, poster size is too big.

Text from Adam: Already got the frame.

Text from Kono: Too big for your office.

Text from Adam: I'll knock out a wall and make it bigger.

Text from Kono: You've already got a 5x7 on your desk.

Text from Adam: You haven't see today's paper, have you?

Text from Kono: Nope.

Text from Kono: Why?

Text from Kono: Adam?

ARRIVING AT HQ...

The glass doors hadn't even fully closed behind Kono as she followed her cousin into HQ before several copies of today's Honolulu Star-Advertiser were thrust into her hands. Some were full editions, some were the paper's lead section, and some were just article clippings. But they all included the same thing.

Her.

The newspaper's editor had been bugging the Governor, and Steve, for months now about doing an in-depth piece on Five-0. Both had declined. Thankfully. But yesterday's jewelry store case and the media buzz surrounding it had given the local newspaper what the Governor and Steve hadn't; permission.

And there was Kono's picture. Large and in full color. On the front page.

The largest photo was solely of her, dressed in all black, and laden down with weapons and ammo, just like the SWAT members she accompanied. Not that she needed any help in remembering the moment or the determination that surged through her as she and the five SWAT members headed for the building across the street to take out the perp who had forced Steve to strap on a bomb vest. She just hadn't realized it had shown on her face.

A smile crept to her face, not at seeing her picture on the front page of the island's largest newspaper, but at the smaller picture that showed all six of them; the word SWAT in white reflective letters on all the flak vest, except hers. Five-0 proudly stood out against the black fabric, and the sun's rays reflected off her badge. Yeah, Five-0 was what stood out, not her. She could be happy about that.

Now that she understood Adam's previous texts, she took out her phone.

Text from Kono: You don't need a bigger office. Now put down the sledge hammer.

A few minutes later, and after being stopped many times to hear 'congratulations' from fellow officers, Kono followed her cousin into the Five-0 offices. She could tell he had increased his usual casual pace. Clearly he was hoping to make it to the safety to his office.

"Hold it right there, Cuz." She ordered as she put the many newspapers down on the Smart Table. This caused Chin to pause at his office door. "I'm gonna get started on the-" He began.

"You're not gonna start anything, until you finish what you've already started." She insisted.

Chin's hand fell from the door frame where it rested before he took a step closer to her, "Listen, Cuz,"

"As in finish our conversation, and tell me what's bothering you." She said, not giving him a chance to argue with her.

After another step closer, Chin watched her cross her arms, a definite sign that he wasn't getting out of this one. "Okay, okay, come into my office."

Chin had never had a problem with knowingly playing the older, overprotective, and hopefully wiser, cousin. But in this case, he knew his younger cousin's response was not going to be calm and quiet. Yeah, that was a given in this case, and probably why he felt a little more confident with himself on one side of his desk, and her on the other. "Remember my friend in the FBI Field Office?" He began.

"You mean the one who sent you the photos of me and Adam at the airport?" She asked, already not liking where this was going.

Chin arched a brow, "Kono, he was there to take pictures of Michael Noshimuri, a convicted felon, a man guilty of manslaughter." He reminded her unnecessarily, hoping to put the focus on the criminal. Not that that would do any good, considering that Michael Noshimuri had nothing to do with what he was about to disclose.

"Continue." She ordered, not taking the bait.

And by 'continue', Chin decided that actions would speak louder than words in this case,... and since he was pretty sure that his cousin's words were going to be more than loud enough for the both of them, he just pivoted his laptop around for her to see more pictures. "Special Agent Thomas sent me these yesterday."

Leaning forward, Kono took in the photos. "Your friend needs to work on his timing." She said, pushing the laptop away in disinterest and leaning back in the chair. "That top one was taken weeks ago." She added, referring to the photo taken of her walking across a busy Honolulu street with her arms full of shopping bags, her white sundress and sandals stark against her tan skin.

"He asked me a question, Kono,... and I wasn't sure how to answer him." Chin finally said.

"Since I'm the one in the photo – not Adam, not his brother, but me – then he should be asking me, not you. But go ahead." She said.

"He wanted to know if a member of Five-0 was really a kept woman for the head of the Yakuza." Chin said in his usual zen tone.

It started with a snicker, then a smile that couldn't be suppressed, then an all out laugh. "A 'kept woman'? Are you serious? He actually asked that? What is this the 1940's?" She managed to get out as her laughter finally died down. She wasn't sure which was funnier; the absurdity of it and her cousin managing to ask her that with a straight face.

Chin seemed less than amused at the moment and clearly did not share his cousin's sense of humor.

"Okay, Cuz," Kono began, then held her hand up as she had to pause to take a few calming breaths to keep from laughing again. But that was okay with her, because it was better, at least at the moment, than yelling. "Okay," She tried again, "if your friend had done his job right, neither one of us would have ever seen that photo."

Chin did not speak, but rather calmly leaned back in his chair, hands laced together behind his head, as if saying, 'Enlighten me'.

So, Kono did. "I made the observation while at Adam's house a while back that he had no Christmas decorations up anywhere. Come to find out that there hadn't been any since his mother stopped coming to Hawaii ten years ago." She paused at the memory of how sad it had made Adam to tell her about his mother refusing to leave her homeland of Korea as long as her husband held tight to his ties with the Yakuza. "The long and short of it is that I helped his housekeeper Lili shop for Christmas decorations. That's the other woman in the picture walking with me. And if your friend had done his job right, he would have know that. He would also have known what we bought, and where we bought it." That was all Kono had to say, the laughter distinctly absent from her voice by that point. Although, she was enjoying the mental image of Adam returning from his business trip to Japan and finding his house all decked out in red and silver.

Chin clearly had nothing to say at that point, either. He silently clicked a button on the laptop and turned it back around so his cousin could see that he had enlarged another picture. This one of her and Adam walking behind his car, his hand on the small of her back, as they headed for the door of the restaurant.

Chin remained silent, as it was obvious he was now awaiting an explanation on that one as well.

On one hand, Kono wanted to maintain the ominous expression on her face, clearly directed towards her cousin. On the other hand, part of her wanted to smile at remembering the dress she wore. Well, not the dress specifically, but the reason Adam had asked her to get a special dress in the first place. Pushing that thought aside, "We went to dinner at Shoken." She stated simply.

Chin took a moment to turn the laptop towards himself, took a closer look at the screen, then turned it back around again, although Kono did not look at the picture again. "The date stamp on that is before Shoken even opened up." He stated, as if informing her of something she didn't already know.

"True." Kono confirmed. "Adam and I were the invited guests of the owners. We were attended a private dinner." She paused, but saw that the expression on her cousin's face hadn't changed, so she explained further. "The owner, Sakio Lee, is a former employee of Adam's. Mr. Lee and his wife had been waiting for their daughter to finish culinary school so they could open a restaurant together. And since Adam had been so supportive – even flying their entire family to the graduation in his private jet – the Lee family invited us to a private dinner to sample the new restaurant's menu."

One more turning of the laptop showed another photo enlarged. This one of Kono and Adam sitting in a private dining room at an upscale restaurant. Despite the scene being dimly lit by candles only, it was clear to see an envelope being passed across the table.

"What's in the envelope?" An unfamiliar voice asked, causing both of them to turn towards the door and stand immediately. Kono's hand reached for her side arm, as no one should have been allowed back into the Five-0 offices without an escort. Chin though obviously knew the man, as he stepped forward with an outstretched hand.

"Hey, good to see ya, brah." He greeted. "I'd like you to meet my cousin. Special Agent Thomas, this is Officer Kono Kalakaua. Kono, this is Special Agent Thomas, the guy wi-"

"-with the bad manners." Kono said, cutting off Chin's words and earning herself a glare from him.

"It's nice to meet you, Oficer Kalakaua." Thomas said anyway.

"Thomas." Kono greeted in return. Refusing his full title.

Thomas managed to smile politely in return, after all, it's not like he expected to be welcomed with open arms. "Well, despite the fact that, yes, it is considered bad manners to take someone's picture without their consent or knowledge, I do still have to ask you, Officer Kalakaua; What's in the envelope?"

end chapter 2

So, dear readers, what do you think is in the envelope? Any guesses?


	3. Leather vs Butterfish

Chapter 3, "Leather vs. Butterfish"

A/N: My character for you to meet in this chapter is Yoshio. Yoshio is Adam Noshimuri's assistant, and means 'good guy' in Japanese.

A/N: My thanks for all the adds and alerts, and for those of you who responded with a guess as to what you think is in the envelope. The most common answer: tickets (plane tickets, theater tickets, etc.)

A/N: I used an online translator for the English to Korean sections, so I hope it is accurate.

"...What's in the envelope?" Special Agent Thomas had asked.

"A gift." Kono's finally supplied.

"A gift?" Thomas repeated, prodding for more.

But more was not coming, as Kono just nodded, having no intention of elaborating further. Then she left Chin's office without another word. Served Thomas right, and Chin too for that matter, for that stupid 'kept woman' comment.

Thomas didn't stay long after that. Just long enough to get the scoop from Chin on the pictures, or at least that was what Kono assumed. She was just glad he had left before Steve and Danny got back twenty minutes later, hopefully with more information on their case.

Kono exited her office and immediately noticed the smirk on the guys' faces. "Oh no." She said, stopping in her tracks, but unable to hid the smile on her face.

"Oh yes." Danny countered as he held up the newspaper teasingly.

"Well, Danny, you have just confirmed that you are indeed a very good Detective." Kono said.

"Oh, and how did you come to that wise revelation?" He asked with a smirk.

"Because you have managed to detect the only copy of today's Honolulu Star-Advertiser that either HPD or my mother didn't already get." She teased back. "Just add it to the pile." She added, gesturing to the pile of newspapers on the table.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no. This, 'final copy' as you have designated it..." Danny said, gesturing with a flair of his right hand to the newspaper he held up in his left hand, "... is mine." He finished with a nod and a smile.

Kono just rolled her eyes and headed back into her office.

One hour, and a mountain of paperwork later, Kono heard the distinct tone of Governor Denning's voice. She exited her office, as did Steve and Danny, to see the Governor talking with Chin near the Smart Table.

"Governor." Steve greeted. "What can we do for you today?" He asked, as it was unusual for the politician to visit their offices. No, whenever the Governor needed anything, he called Steve directly, so it was no surprise that Steve was surprised at his presence.

For what it was worth, the Governor gave a polite smile, as he was obviously in the rare from of a good mood. "I have stopped by today to give you all these," He paused to hand over the four large square envelopes with gold seals, "and invite you all personally to the Winter Ball."

Excited "Thank yous" came from all around as everyone eagerly began opening their invitations.

"Well, I have a few more to deliver before my meeting." Governor Denning said looking at his watch, then quickly departed.

"Malia is going to be so happy about this." Chin stated, unfolding the formal invitation and clutching the two royal blue and gold tickets that had been enclosed.

"Yeah. Anything to get us into one of those monkey suits, right." Danny quipped, as he extracted his two tickets.

"Or,... to buy a new dress." Chin clarified.

"Ah, right. Must just be Gabrielle then." Danny said.

"I don't know about the monkey suit part, but definitely agree about the dress part." Steve said, in reference to Catherine as he pocketed his tickets.

"Kono, you're awfully quiet over there." Danny observed.

Kono chose to remain silent as she held up her royal blue ticket. Her one and only, royal blue ticket.

"Where's the other one?" Steve asked, clearly searching the floor to hopefully spot the dropped ticket.

To which Kono just silently shrugged as Danny took the invitation from her hand and unfolded it for himself, as if the missing ticket would just fall out. Surely it had to be a mistake, after all.

"I'm sure it's just a mistake, Kono." Steve insisted after confirming that, no, the ticket was no where on the floor.

"Well, obviously." Danny agreed, in a lighthearted manner.

"Kono." Chin said to get her attention. "Think about it."

"Think about what, Cuz?" She asked in an irritated tone, her hand going to her hip and knowing exactly where he was going with this.

Chin took a deep breath, "I know you don't want to hear this, but, be honest with yourself,... do you really think Governor Denning wants the head of the Yakuza at one of his events?"

"First of all," Kono began, as she simultaneously held up a hand to stop Steve from speaking. "Adam is not the head of the Yakuza. He could have been,... when his father died,... but he chose not to be that kind of person. He chose, instead, to hake his family's business in the opposite direction."

"Hey, Kono, why don't I just call the Gover-" Steve began.

Up went Kono's hand again, bringing an immediate halt to her boss' words.

"No, Steve." Kono said without taking her eyes off her cousin. "If the Governor doesn't want Adam at the Winter Ball, then that's his loss. Adam is a good man. He was handed the Yakuza and a life of crime on a silver platter, but instead of taking it, he's worked non-stop at legitimizing each and every aspect of his family's business and to be an honest man in this community." She paused, hands defiantly perched on her hips, and finally looking at Steve and Danny. "I don't know where you stand on this, but I, for one, would think that that is exactly the kind of guest the Governor would want at an event he is hosting."

Steve nodded, "I agree." He assured her.

"As do I." Danny added.

"As do I." Another voice said, causing everyone to turn. "Pardon me for interrupting, again," The Governor said as he stepped away from the doors and came further into the room. "I found this on the floor of my car and was going to ask who's invitation it fell out of, but I have a feeling it was yours, Officer Kalakaua." He explained as he handed the ticket to her.

"Thank you." She said, accepting the ticket from him.

"My apologies for any confusion or inconvenience this might have caused." The Governor said directly to Kono, then, "I look forward to seeing all of you, and your guests, at the Winter Ball." He said to everyone in a much lighter tone before departing again.

Kono didn't say a word, just retrieved her invitation from Danny's hand and returned to her office.

Another hour later and Five-0 was still waiting for the Crime Scene report form Charlie and the autopsy reports from Max. Not that the COD of the copulating couple was a mystery, but they still needed the report. But a multi-car pile-up on the H-1 had the ME's office backed up, and she wasn't sure what Charlie's excuse was, so they would just have to wait.

Kono had remained in her office, paperwork always needing to be done was a convenient excuse to avoid her cousin for the time being. She glanced at the time on her computer screen; it was almost noon. Adam would be by soon to pick her up for their lunch date. She hadn't heard from him yet, but was sure he would call from the parking lot when he arrived.

Turning off her computer, Kono saw Yoshio being escorted into HQ.

"안녕하세요, 요시오." (Hello, Yoshio) She greeted in Korean and with a bow after exiting her office.

"안녕하세요, 장교 칼라 쿠아." (Hello, Officer Kalakaua) He began in his usual formal and polite matter, accompanied by a bow. Adam Noshimuri's aid was a short Japanese man in his late fifties with a generous touch of gray at the temples of his jet black hair.

"어디 있어요 아담?" (Where is Adam?) Kono questioned, assuming he was in the car. But why not just call to say he was waiting for her out front? She also noticed Chin had stopped his work at the Smart Table, and Steve and Danny had exited the boss' office.

"선생 Noshimuri 그의 사과를 확장하는 저를 보냈습니다, 장교 칼라 쿠아, 그의 비행기가 지연되었습니다 있습니다. 조종사가 주변 탐색했던 일본의 연안의 주요 폭풍이 있습니다. 그리고 비행기는 적어도 두 시간 거리에 있습니다." (Mr. Noshimuri has sent me to extend his apologies, Officer Kalakaua, as his plane has been delayed. There is a major storm off the coast of Japan that the pilot had to navigate around. And the plane is still at least two hours away.) Yoshio informed her.

"아, 알 겠어요." (Oh. I see.) Kono said, disappointment obvious in her tone. "Uh, guys,... I'd like you all to meet Adam's assistant Yoshio." She said, at hearing Steve translating for Danny in the background. "Yoshio, this is Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams, and Lieutenant Kelly."

"Pleasure to.. meet... all you." Yoshio managed to greet in English and with a bow before turning back to Kono. "이제 떠날 준비가, 장교 칼라 쿠아?" (Are you ready to leave now, Officer Kalakaua?)

"그러나, 당신은 단지 아담의 비행기는 적어도 두 시간 거리에 있다고 말했다" (But, you just said that Adam's plane is at least two hours away.) She questioned.

"아 그래, 분명 존재하지에 대한 내 사과드립니다. 이 파일럿에게 성공적으로 연결을 얻을 수있는 위성 전화에 세 시도를했다. 그러나 씨 Noshimuri은 분명 사람이 와서 어쨌든 식사를 즐겁게하는 당신을 위해 희망하는했다. 원하는 경우 아마, 당신은 그의 부재에 당신과 함께 게스트가 나타납니다" (Oh yes, my apologies for not being clear. It took the pilot three attempts on the satellite phone to get a successful connection. But Mr. Noshimuri made it clear that he hopes you will please come and dine anyway. Perhaps, if you wish, you will bring a guest to dine with you in his absence.) Yoshio offered.

That offer brightened Kono's face.

"Hey, Danny, got any lunch plans?" She asked.

Danny looked around the room before pointing to himself. "Me?" He asked.

Kono didn't answer his silly question, but instead hooked her hand on his arm and started leading him towards the door Yoshio was holding open for them. "Chef Akita grills a butterfish that you will love, brah."

Danny returns to the office almost two hours later walking a little slower than when he had left. "What are you? Stuffed to the gills?" Steve joked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Danny answered and patted his stomach as he approached Steve and Chin at the Smart Table. "Kono was right. That Chef Akita is the man to go to when you want butterfish."

"Especially when someone else is footin' the bill." Steve added, knowing that butterfish wasn't usually in Danny's budget.

"Oh, by the way," Danny paused, gesturing towards the parking lot, "Kono went ahead and took off for the courthouse. Her deposition is scheduled for 2:30" Danny said, then noticed Chin.

Chin was looking closer at Danny's shirt, or, more precisely, the gap between two of the buttons on Danny's shirt. "Did you leave any for anyone else?" He teased.

"Uh,... probably not." Danny answered with a smirk while patting his stomach again. "But thank you, by the way. I don't know why Kono chose me instead of either one of you, but thank you."

"I had a lunch date with Catherine." Steve stated, then both men looked at Chin... and waited.

"I, uh, might have stuck my foot in my mouth earlier. Twice." Chin finally admitted.

"Ah, you had a 'leather sandwich' for lunch, huh?" Danny asked, rubbing his palms together.

Chin shrugged and said, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"I just did." Danny retorted. "And, again... thank you."

"Glad to be of service." Chin deadpanned. "You ready to go?"

"Go? Go where? Where are we going?" Danny rattled off.

"We've been waiting for you to finish stuffing your face, so we could follow up on the case." Steve supplied as he was already headed for the door.

"Not that you'll be any good if we have to chase down a perp." Chin teased as they both followed Steve.

"Very funny. Hey, do you know how many hotels Adam owns? Most with restaurants in them. No wonder that guy's so rich. And all of his personal employees, like Yoshio, are tri-lingual; Japanese, Korean, and English." Danny rambled on as they proceeded. Something Steve found interesting, but Chin was starting to find irritating, which was no surprise considering the topic.

"Uh, Danny,..." Chin interrupted as they were in the parking lot. "... the case." He said, attempting to redirect the Detectives attention.

"Oh, right." Danny said. "So, where are we headed?"

But no answer came from Steve as he watched a black SUV pulled up.

No, you didn't find out exactly what was in the envelope in this chapter. And because Chin will just have to come up with another way to find out, you still have time to guess yourselves.

Before you leave a review (hint, hint), ... I'm in need of a Beta Reader. Interested? Please let me know.

Next Chapter: "Loco Moco" is already in progress.


	4. Decoder Rings & Loco Moco

**Chapter 4 - "Decoder Rings & Loco Moco"**

A/N: Forgot to mention in the previous chapter that Malia is alive in my FF world. But I'm pretty sure you picked up on that by now.

A/N: Adam & Kono's ethnicity...  
* Since Grace Park is half Korean, I stuck with her character Kono also being half Korean.  
* As for Ian Anthony Dale, he is half Japanese, but I have altered his character Adam a bit. For the sake of my story Adam is half Japanese (from his father Hiro). Since we have heard nothing about his mother on the show, I have decided, for the sake of my story, that his mother is half Korean.  
* I did this because, well, it's FanFiction and I can, but primarily because I wanted Adam & Kono to have that in common and for speaking in Korean to be something they shared.

** "Decoder Rings & Loco Moco" **

"So, where are we headed?" Danny asked.

But no answer came from Steve as a black SUV pulled up.

Both Chin and Danny had pendulum eyes, going back and forth between Steve and the man that had exited the black SUV and was now approaching them. Obviously if the unknown man was a threat, even a suspected threat, Steve would be not be in the calm mode he was in. Well, maybe 'calm mode' was not quite accurate though. Having stopped his forward momentum, Steve now stood still, his feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed over his chest, shoulders squared, and back straight. No, definitely not 'calm mode', more like 'SEAL mode'.

The very tall and slim man - whom Danny had quickly dubbed 'Beamer' because his eyes and skin were so dark it made the whites of his eyes stand out - completed his approach and stopped in front of them. Well, actually he stopped in front of Steve, even taking up a similar stance as the SEAL.

It was as if the two Detectives were invisible, as Steve and the stranger just stared at each other while Chin and Danny waited for the man to speak. But to their surprise it wasn't the stranger who spoke first.

"Tag?" Steve asked the stranger. Or at least Chin and Danny thought it sounded like a question.

"Affirmative." Came the man's straight-faced answer. Or at least Chin and Danny thought it was an answer, assuming 'Tag' had actually been a question.

"Load?" Steve asked. Again, Chin and Danny assumed.

"Negative."

"Via?" Steve asked.

"G-Zero."

It was almost imperceptible. The very, very brief and slight tip of Steve's head.

An equally almost imperceptible nod came from the man.

"Gotta go." Steve suddenly said as he unfolded his arms and rushed off, following the man, leaving Chin and Danny just standing there.

"What just happened?" Danny asked as they watched the SUV drive away. "What did they just say to each other?" He added, not bothering to give his colleague time to answer the first question.

"Sorry, brah,... left my decoder ring at home." Chin answered with a snap of his fingers and a shrug, then proceed down the walkway towards his car.

"That was some sort of Super SEAL thing. Right?" Danny sought to confirm, his curiosity obviously peaked. "I mean, it had to be. They both had that 'thing' going on. Oh, and the eyes. It was like they could talk without talking, ya know?" Danny ranted on, arms in full motion. Then he paused, both in words and movement, "Oh my God,..." This finally got Chin to stop walking too and look at him. "I'm gonna have to hear him say, 'It's classified' again. Aren't I?"

Chin just rolled his eyes, and chose to not answer as he resumed the trek to his car.

The rest of the afternoon was spent hunting down leads on the case,... and listening to Danny.

THE NEXT MORNING, JUST BEFORE 9am...

With a take-out container of Loco Moco in one hand, and his car keys still in the other, Adam Noshimuri walked towards the Five-0 headquarters. Turns out Chin was headed the same direction and the two men soon cross paths just outside the entrance doors.

"Lieutenant Kelly," Adam greeted formally as he knew his girlfriend's cousin didn't like him. "Is Kono still here?" He inquired, getting to the point quickly.

"Still here?" Chin questions, eying the take-out container.

"Since she didn't show up for breakfast this morning, I figured Five-0 caught a case." Adam explained.

"Breakfast?" Chin simply asked, indicating the take-out.

Adam answered via a nod before speaking. "She gets so focused and single-minded when working a case, that I knew she wouldn't stop to eat. Since she's not due back at the courthouse until 10, I figured I'd drop her off some of her favorite."

"Loco Moco." Chin safely guessed.

"Of course." Adam confirmed.

"Only thing is, we didn't catch a case." Chin informed.

"Did I hear you say we've got a case?" Danny asked as he approached.

"No, Danny." Chin corrected, "But Mr. Noshimuri is looking for Kono." He added, and the formal use of his name was not lost on Adam.

"Isn't she back at the courthouse this morning?" Danny sought to confirm.

Both Chin and Adam nodded before the cousin spoke, "Yeah, but not until ten."

"Malasadas?" Danny inquired, eying the take-out box.

Adam shook his head, "Loco Moko. Well done, extra gravy on the side."

Turned out that was more information that Danny wanted to know about Adam Noshimuri's familiarity with Kono's breakfast preferences, and based on Chin's eye brow disappearing into his hairline, it was a pretty safe bet her cousin felt the same way.

"Thank you for accompanying Kono to lunch yesterday, Detective." Adam said to break the awkward moment of silence. It was only a moment, but awkward none the less, hence the upcoming explanation. "Kono and I tried re-scheduling for dinner, but her leaving the courthouse late ran right into my evening meeting. So, we attempted to meet this morning for breakfast. Only she didn't show, so I assumed Five-0 caught a case."

"Well, let's go inside and see if there's something going on we don't know about yet." Danny suggested, and all three men entered the building.

Steve exits his office as they enter, his phone still in his hand. "Oh, it's you." He says in obvious disappointment.

"Well, good morning to you, too, Steven." Danny says with a smirk.

"Oh, sorry." Steve says, "Could tell there were three of you, and was hoping Kono was with you."

Danny just shakes his head with a slight grin. He wasn't sure why he was surprised at the Super SEAL's ability to detect three sets of shoes on the hard wood floor. "No. Actually, we were hoping she was here."

But that wasn't what caught Chin's attention, "Why were you hoping she was arriving with us?" He asks.

"Because Lukela just called me, because the District Attorney's office just called HPD inquiring why Kono did not show up this morning to finish her deposition. Plus, she's not answering her phone." Steve explained.

"But she's not scheduled for another hour." Chin stated.

"But according to the DA's office, they conferred with her to change it to 8:30 this morning." Steve explained as he glanced at his watch.

"What time did that happen?" Adam asked.

"The DA's office told Lukela 'about 6:45'." Steve said.

Adam set the take-out box on the edge of the smart table to flip through his phone's call log. "Here it is. Kono called me at 6:34, as she was leaving the DA's office. We talked as she walked to her car. Call ended at 6:42." He said, the pocketed his phone, "When we talked, she was still scheduled back at the DA's office at 10:00."

"Which is why you both thought she had time to meet for breakfast this morning." Danny stated, and Adam confirmed with a nod.

"When did you try to call her?" Chin asked, pocketing his phone with a shake of his head as he had been trying to call Kono himself as they had all been talking. But it just went straight to voice mail.

"I didn't." Adam said, "When she was late, I sent a text, like I usually do. She prefers a text, since she might be in the middle of a case and doesn't want her phone ringing at the wrong time."

"Makes sense." Danny says with a nod, as they can all understand not wanting their phone to ring when they're trying to sneak up on a suspect. "So, the DA's office talked to her after she had already spoken with Adam, which means-"

"Which means we need to find out what happened after that." Chin said, as he walked around the Smart Table.

"Chin, try tracking her phone first." Steve said unnecessarily.

"Already on it." Chin stated as his fingers moved quickly over the computer. "Nothing. Her phone is either off or she has a dead battery."

"Track her car." Danny suggested, which sent Chin to work on the next step.

"GPS Locator puts her car still in the parking garage by the courthouse." Chin announces a few moments later.

"So she arrived back at the courthouse this morning, but never made it to the DA's office?" Steve says, thinking out loud.

"No." Adam states. "No, she would have called or texted me last night if our plans had to change."

"Noshimuri's right." Chin states. He may not like his cousin's boyfriend, but he knew his cousin well, and she would never be inconsiderate or rude like that.

Adam notices that at least the 'Mr.' part of his name had been dropped.

"So that means whatever happened to Kono, happened after her call from the DA's office, but before she left the parking garage. Chin, there's gotta be camera's in that garage, see what you can find." Steve instructs, and Chin is already getting started.

"This is gonna take a few minutes, guys." Chin informs them.

"So," Danny begins in a hushed tone as he leans closer to Steve, "since we have a few minutes to wait, you wanna tell me what happened yesterday." Danny asked.

Steve leaned slightly in Danny's direction, and in an equally hushed tone said, "It's classified."

** HAWAII FIVE-0 **

Here is a repeat of the conversation between Steve and 'Beamer', this time with interpretations:

"Tag?"(are you here to get me?) Steve asked the stranger. Or at least Chin and Danny thought it sounded like a question.

"Affirmative." Came the man's simple answer. Or at least Chin and Danny thought it was an answer, assuming 'Tag' had actually been a question.

"Load?" (do I need any gear?) Steve asked. Again, Chin and Danny assumed.

"Negative."

"Via?" (transportation; how & when?) Steve asked.

"G-Zero." (G=ground, Zero=now, no waiting)

A/N: In case you didn't recognize him, that was Lieutenant Tiko Durbin – a.k.a. Beamer – one of Steve's former SEAL team members from my story "2-4-1" in that opening scene.

A/N: Had to try the local favorite Loco Moco when we were in Hawaii recently. Was told that it is usually served topped with over-easy or sunny-side-up eggs. Well, that was just not gonna happen on my plate. So, over-hard they are for Kono as well.

A/N: And a 'Thank you' to all who keep sending in their guesses about what is in the envelop Adam gave to Kono. I'm afraid that you, and Chin, and Agent Thomas will all just have to wait a little longer to find out. But feel free to continue guessing, because no one has got it right yet.


	5. Joules, part 1

Chapter 5 "Joules"

A/N: Kono went missing on a Thursday 6:45pm/1845. Keep this in mind and note the dates/times I indicate as the chapters progress.

**HAWAII FIVE-0, Chapter 5, "Joules"**

**STILL AT FIVE-0 HQ ON FRIDAY MORNING...  
Missing time: 16 hours**

Despite fully expecting Steve's answer, Danny would have still gone directly into rant mode if it hadn't been for Chin's much more important words cutting off his in-born natural response, "I've got it."

Being the Governor's Task Force had it's perks, big boy toys and all.

Chin enlarged the footage before flying it to the vertical monitor, and they all watched Kono talking on her phone as she walked, before ending the call. She was a smart woman, that much was obvious, as she continuously kept looking around her, being aware of her surroundings. She was also smartly dressed that day, in navy blue linen dress slacks and a white short-sleeved blouse. She wanted to look professional for her appointment at the Courthouse, and more importantly, representing Five-0. Soon she was on her phone again.

"Check her call log, Chin." Steve requested, and Chin did exactly that as Adam put his cell phone on the Smart Table.

"You can tell by the time stamp," Chin began, indicating the digital information in the lower corner of the screen, "that the previous call was from Noshimuri. The gap between calls is only about ten seconds, before this one from the DA's office." He added, hi-lighting both numbers on Kono's call log and one on Adam's.

"There's her car." Danny said as Chin switched to a different camera, as Kono walked out of one camera's view and into another.

They all watched as Kono approached her car just as a white van pulled in front of it. The side door swiftly opened and two black-clad men jumped out. Kono was obviously on immediate high alert and in defense mode. Both men took turns trying to grab her as the other would go hand-to-hand against her. At one point Kono jumped on the hood of the car parked next to hers, the perfect height for sending a kick to the perps jaw, before jumping to the hood of the next car, then back again as she tried to avoid the two men. That last jump though didn't turn out so well, as one of them caught her foot in mid-air, sending her to the ground and landing on her back,... as if that would stop her.

The fight that seemed to go on forever, but actually took less than two minutes, appeared to be coming to a close as both men could clearly not hold their own against the Five-0 member, let alone succeed in grabbing her.

It looked like the battle was almost over, with one man doubled over and holding his hurting ribs, courtesy of a roundhouse kick, while Kono had the other in a head lock long enough he was about to pass out.

Until...

Until the driver, who had quietly exited the van, came up behind Kono and tasered her.

All four men felt sick, literally sick, at seeing her body jerk as 50 joules surged through her.

Less than ten seconds later they were gone. All of them. Loaded up in the van and just,... gone.

"Chin," Steve began, his jaw clenched tight.

"I'm on it." Chin said through gritted teeth, his fingers already flying across the Smart Table. Nothing needed to be said at that point, it was time for action.

Steve could already hear Danny on the phone to HPD to get a BOLO out on Kono and the van, so he turned his attention to the other man in the room. "Adam."

Adam stood still, his whitened knuckles pressed to his mouth, trying to keep the bile down. He could almost feel every kick and every punch Kono had endured.

"Adam."

He had watched as she got the wind knocked out of her, and now it felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Adam."

"The perps wore masks, so that's a wash, but Chin was able to get the license plate, and is already running the Kaleidoscope program. HPD is looking, too." Danny updated Steve. "How's he doing?" He asked, gesturing to Adam, who now leaned against the wall.

"I don't know." Steve answered with a slight shake of his head.

"Think this has anything to do with him?" Danny asked, because, well, it needed to be asked.

Steve shrugged, "Only one way to find out." He answered with a heavy sigh, then took the few steps to approach Adam. "Adam."

Adam's head suddenly jerked up at realizing someone was saying his name, and he let out a long jerky breath.

"I know it's hard to watch someone you care about get hurt like that, but we're going to find her. I guarantee you,... we are going to find her." Steve assured the man, as well as himself, as he spoke with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We don't want to make any assumptions," Danny began, as he stepped closer go speak, "but we do have to ask; Do you think this has anything to do with you?"

Adam didn't respond, but just stood there trying to keep his breathing even as his muddled mind attempted to process the Detective's words.

Danny could tell that Adam was having a hard time processing what he had seen. Truth was, even as callous as it sounded, the Five-0 team was used to seeing that kind of footage, to witnessing such violent acts, which gave them an advantage. The advantage of at least being able to force themselves to compartmentalize and function while one of their teammates was God-only-knew where. And right now they needed every advantage they could get.

Danny tried again, "Anyone you've recently pissed off in a business deal? Anyone that would want to get back at you via Kono?"

Steve had a different possibility, "You're a very successful business man, Adam. There is also the possibility that this is a kidnapping."

"Or it's the Yakuza." Chin stated a third option as he too now approached, the option he thought was the most obvious.

Adam took a deep breath and let it out, but couldn't hide the hitch. "The Noshimuri Group owns ten different companies. I make multi-million dollar deals all the time. You can't do that without pissing some people off." Breathe. "But there have been no threats. No personal threats anyway. The other business men I deal with aren't like that." One checked off. Breathe. "If there is a ransom, I'll pay it. Without hesitation." Two checked off. Breathe. "And I don't know why it would be the Yakuza. All business ties with them have been severed, completely and permanently." Three checked off. The elephant. The big one. Breathe.

There was a tense silence before Chin spoke up. "Besides the van, the rest of the footage is a bust. All three perps wore long sleeves, masks, even gloves. We can't even tell the color of their skin, let alone get anything identifiable on them. So, until the Kaleidoscope program finishes running and we find a location on the van-"

Chin didn't finish the thought. They were all thinking the same thing, because they all knew the same thing; They had nothing. This was not good,... and no one wanted to say it.

"Let's get to the parking garage and see if the CSI's have found anything yet." Steve said, needing to give his team something to focus on and desperate for a lead, any lead.

Adam retrieved his phone and suddenly made a beeline for the door. Steve wasn't sure if the sudden departure was because Adam was trying to stay out of their way since he couldn't really help, or because he knew he obviously couldn't stay in the offices without them there and didn't want to delay them, or if he had another reason. Regardless, the guys followed him out.

Danny soon turned to Steve, hoping for a translation as they followed Adam down the hall and out the exterior doors. He wanted to believe Adam, that he really didn't have anything to do with Kono's abduction, but they had to rule out all possibilities, and that included her boyfriend.

"He's talking to Yoshio." Steve said, referring to Adam's phone conversation. They weren't following close enough for him to hear everything, but he was able to get the jest of it, "He's having his schedule cleared."

"Sounds like something a concerned boyfriend would do." Danny said quietly, mostly thinking out loud.

"Now he's telling him to get money ready." Steve translated.

Danny let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "In case there's a ransom demand." He assumed.

"Now he's talking to someone else. It's about the Yakuza." Steve continued, Adam now pacing back and forth in front of his car as he talked on his phone, clearly not caring who was listening. "He's ordering a meeting." He concluded.

"A meeting?" Danny pressed for more information as they walked past Adam, continuing on towards the Camaro.

"Sounds like he's demanding a meeting with the Yakuza Lieutenants." Steve said in a serious tone.

**AT THE CRIME SCENE...**

"Hey, wait." Danny said, slamming the Camaro's door shut and throwing his hands up in frustration. "I can't believe we forgot to clone Adam's phone before we left. If this is a ransom, we need to know if he gets the call, be able to trace it." He said to Steve. Danny was clearly unhappy, at least with himself. He was a detective after all, and that included handling ransom and abduction cases. Colleague and friend or not, he had to maintain his focus, no matter what.

"It's taken care of, Danny." Steve assured him, closing his door a little more calmly.

"Taken care of?" Danny repeated as Chin now exited his car beside them.

"Yeah." Steve answered, then turned to Chin, "Hey, Chin, you cloned Adam's phone when you had it on the Smart Table. Right?"

"Of course." He answered as he passed them and headed straight for Charlie Fong. And that was the end of that discussion.

"Hey, guys." Charlie greeted with a somber expression.

"What have you got for us, Charlie?" Chin inquired before Steve even got a chance, an urgency evident in his tone of voice.

"Not much, unfortunately." Charlie sighed heavily, already feeling the stress from this case. In fact, it was just hard to think of Kono as a 'case'. "It's hard to tell anything related to Kono's disappearance from anything else that's here."

"Did you get the camera footage I sent?" Chin asked.

"Yes, I did." Charlie confirmed, gesturing to the tablet in his hand. "I've used it to confirm that this is Kono's shoe." He said, holding up an evidence bag with one navy blue women's slip-on shoe. "I also used it to track the blood spatter from that kick she sent to the perps jaw, which yielded us this nice blood sample here." He added, holding up another evidence bag with a swab in it. "We're lucky the car it was on was hers, because the other cars that were parked next to her are long gone of course."

"Right. This is the visitors parking level. All those with assigned parking spots are on the upper levels." Danny added.

"Correct." Charlie confirmed, "Then there's the obvious," He continued, holding up the last bag, "her badge, gun, and phone were all on the ground, underneath her car."

"What about the rest of those bags?" Danny inquired, gesturing to the box of bags nearby.

"Good question, Detective Williams." Charlie said, picking up the box and taking out only one bag. "Most of this stuff is just standard litter, but I'm suspecting that this hair clip could be hers. The footage is just too grainy to tell for sure. Hers or not, is probably irrelevant, but I'll confirm it for you anyway once I get it back to the lab."

"There are several long dark hairs on it." Steve observed, now holding up the bag as he could hear Chin's phone ringing.

"Yeah. Well, the fight she was in, I'm surprised there aren't a lot more." Danny said, trying not to replay the footage in his mind, again, as he half-listened to Chin's side of the conversation.

Charlie nodded, "I'll let you know as soon as I have something confirmed." He assured them before rushing off to get the evidence back to the lab.

"Guys," Chin began, as he watched Charlie rushed off. "HPD just found the van."

**TWENTY MINUTES LATER...**

"What have ya got, Duke?" Steve requested as he, Danny, and Chin approached the scene.

"Any word on Kono?" Sargent Lukela asked hopefully, the flashing blue lights from the ambulance reflected in his eye glasses. Unfortunately, all he received was a silent tight-lipped shake of the head from all three men. "Recognized the van right away." Duke began his answer while looking down at his note pad. "The driver, a 41-year-old Kioki Pakala, is being taken to the hospital with severe injuries. According to witnesses, he was driving radically and wrapped this van around this light pole." Lukela says, gesturing to the wrecked vehicle.

"Excuse me,... This Van? As opposed to 'his van'?" Danny inquires.

"That's right. The van was reported stolen late last night, by the owners, Paul and Margaret Dunner." Lukela clarified.

"Any evidence?" Steve asks, gesturing with a nod of his head towards the van.

"CSI isn't here yet, so we didn't touch anything. But there is blood in the back of the van, that looks too far from the driver's seat to be Pakala's, and one woman's shoe."

"Okay." Steve said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Get a sample of the blood from the back of the van, and a sample of Pakala's, over to Fong at the lab right away." Steve instructs.

**BACK AT HQ, Friday afternoon...  
time missing: 22 hours**

Steve, Danny, and Chin were standing around the Smart Table, the available evidence on the screens, when Lukela escorts Adam Noshimuri in, who was followed closely by Yoshio and another man who appeared to be a body-guard. "Commander McGarrett, you have visitors." Lukela says.

"Thanks, Duke." Steve responds, dismissing Lukela. Yoshio then turned and nodded to the body-guard who immediately set down a large and obviously heavy duffel bag and followed Lukela back out. Yoshio took several steps back, and stayed near the glass doors.

"Any word?" Adam asks, getting right to the point.

"Nothing yet." Steve says in a quiet voice.

"What's, uh, what's with the luggage?" Danny asks, gesturing the the multiple duffel bags that the three men had carried in.

"I brought ransom money. Five million. I wanted it ready, just in case." Adam answered.

"Five m-?" Danny mumbled out. "That's... that's a lot of ransom money."

Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't sure how much to get, so I went with what I could get right away. But I can get more if needed, it will just take some time." He assured.

"That's good, Adam. That's good." Steve said, wanting to give the man some hope, and avoid the topic, as well as the though, that it was almost past the time frame for this being a kidnapping case. But, yeah, he could go with the 'speak no evil, think no evil' approach. "I'm, uh, not sure that's gonna fit in our safe, though."

Chin stepped forward, "We can put it in the gun locker, Steve." He suggested, referring to the floor to ceiling gun cage there in the main room.

Steve nodded in agreement and soon the duffel bags were secured.

"I'm also going to offer a reward,... for information." Adam stated. "$100 thousand, to anyone with information that helps find Kono. Do you think it will help?"

"So, what,... did you plan on taking out an ad in the paper? Or maybe a commercial on tv?" Danny asks. "How exactly are you going to offer this reward?"

Adam took a deep breath before answering, "I'm offering it to the Yakuza."

** Hawaii Five-0 **

A/N: "Joules" is not finished yet, but this was a good stopping point and I wanted to post what I had so far. Will continue "Joules" in the next chapter.


	6. Joules, part 2

"Joules" continued

**STILL FRIDAY AFTERNOON HQ...**  
**(Time Missing: 22hrs.)**

Adam took a deep breath before answering, "I'm offering it to the Yakuza."

"To the Yakuza?" Chin repeated. "You stood right here in this office earlier today and claimed that you had severed all ties with them!" He yelled, advancing on Adam.

"Chin," Steve said in a stern but calm tone, while intercepting his path with a firm hand to the chest. "we need to say focused on finding Kono."

"That's exactly what I'm doing." Chin said to Steve, before turning his gaze back to Adam. "But it's his ties to the Yakuza that could get her killed!"

Steve removed his hand from Chin's chest and gestured for him to keep his cool before turning towards Adam. "Keep talking." He said. It was an order, but there was still a calm to his voice.

Adam nodded in agreement before speaking, "I also need to know, for certain, that this is not the Yakuza's doing." He paused, taking a deep breath. "So, I called another meeting."

"Excuse me," Danny interrupted with a wave of his hand, "'Another' meeting?

"My original plan for extracting the Yakuza from the Noshimuri Group was taking too long." Adam said.

"Excuse me, again." Danny interrupted, again, "Original plan?"

Adam let out a heavy sigh, he was going to have to back up a few steps for this to come out right and make sense. "There are ten different businesses that make up the Noshimuri Group. My original plan was to go business-by-business to extract the Yakuza from each one. But it was taking too long. So, last week, I called meeting of all the heads of the companies here on the islands. Each and every one of them were required to attend. Those that could not physically be here joined in via video conference. They all knew what was coming, that I would be getting to them eventually anyway, but what they weren't expecting, was an ultimatum. I told them that I wanted the Yakuza out of each and every business,... completely, immediately, and permanently."

"So, what made you decide to do that?" Steve asked, "I mean, what made you decide it was taking 'too long'?" He rephrased.

A ghost of a smile crept across Adam's face. "Kono."

"Kono?" Danny repeated. "I don't suppose you could, uh, elaborate on that for us." He requested.

"I was never intended to..." Adam paused, as if gathering his thoughts before starting over. "My father never intended for me to have anything to do with the Yakuza. I was kept away from it, isolated from it all, while I was growing up,... and after law school, I only worked in the legit parts of my families business. But my father's death changed all of that, and suddenly I was thrust into a world..." He paused again without finishing his words, wondering how much to reveal and if they would believe him anyway.

"Okay," Steve broke in, wanting to move the topic along. "You called a meeting, gave them an ultimatum, and now,... you've called for another meeting?"

Adam nodded in confirmation. "There have been some hold-outs, some that are angry with me for legitimizing the businesses. I know there are, I was even expecting it. But right now, I'm more interested in using them,... against each other."

"Against each other." Danny repeated. "Care to explain how that's going to work."

"Simple. With the Yakuza being extracted from the rest of the companies so suddenly, many of the executives have had their side-deals cut off. So, I figure that a little temptation might be in order." Adam explained

"Temptation?" Steve said, rocking back on his heels.

"Sounds like a hundred thousand temptations, to me." Danny added.

"So, if the Yakuza has anything to do with her abduction, you think one of them will snitch on another." Steve said, crossing his arms over his chest in thought. "For a hundred thousand dollars, that is."

"If they wanna sell each other out, what do I care, as long as it helps get Kono back." Adam said.

"If it's the Yakuza, this could work." Danny pondered.

"It takes a criminal to catch a criminal." Chin chimed in, at which both Steve and Danny gave him a sideways glance. Sure they had all had their suspicions about Adam, and still did, to some extent anyway. But finding Kono was all that mattered right now and they would take all the help they could get, any way it came.

"Listen, Adam-" Steve began, but stopped when he realized he no longer had the man's attention. "Adam?" He repeated, but Adam was no longer listening to any of them, as something on the monitor was vying for his attention.

"Something you recognize?" Danny asked, taking a step closer.

Adam finally looked away from the monitor, "That glass bead." He said, gesturing to a photo of miscellaneous items from the parking garage.

"What about it?" Chin asked.

"It's from Kono's hair clip." Adam answered.

Steve jogged quickly into his office and grabbed an evidence bag from his desk, then quickly returned. "This hair clip?"

Adam gently, almost reverently, took the bag from Steve, then nodded. "It's Kono's."

"We weren't sure, since none of us recognized it." Steve said.

"I just gave it to her. For Valentine's Day." Adam said, still staring at the bag.

"Um, in case you haven't heard, it was decided that Valentine's Day should remain on the 14th." Danny said, "Which, by the way, isn't until next week."

"Which was precisely the point." Adam said, mostly to himself.

**FLASHBACK...**

Despite owning several restaurants, Adam often craved the privacy his own home offered. Which was why he and Kono currently sat across from each other at a table in his back yard. The underwater lights from the swimming pool and nearby tiki torches made the candles unnecessary, but Lili always went out of her way when 'Kono-yang' came to visit. Kono had offered her numerous times to just call her Kono instead of Officer Kalakaua, which got to be a mouth full every time she was there, plus she was off-duty. But Lili just couldn't bring her self to be so informal, especially in her boss' home. Hence; Kono-yang (Miss. Kono).

"Wish I didn't have to leave again." Adam said. He had made many trips to Japan recently on business, and was growing tired of the constant back and forth.

"How long will you be gone this time?" She asked, securing a piece of buldak (spicy chicken) with her chopsticks.

"At least a week." He answered with a heavy sigh as he selected a gimbap (Korean-style sushi roll) from the platter.

"I saw Michael leaving as I pulled in." She said, pushing her plate away.

Adam smiled at her obvious attempt to change the subject to something more positive, clearly unaware that wasn't going to work. "Yeah, he, uh,.. well, he's been hanging out with some of his old friends lately."

That got Kono's attention. "Is that a good thing?" She asked cautiously, reaching for just one more piece of buldak. She couldn't cook to save her life, but Lili on the other hand as nothing short of a chef with knack for Korean food, which Kono couldn't get enough of.

"Probably not." Adam confirmed, "But if there's one thing I've learned about my fellow male half of the population, is that some of us are real idiots, especially with the blatantly obvious."

Kono laughed. "Can I quote you on that?" She managed to get out. "Seriously,... what brought about that revelation?"

He loved the sound of her laugh and although it was an awkward opening, it was still the opening he'd been looking for. So with a smirk on his face he began his explanation, "Last year, one of my employees got married." He began with a slight shrug, "I remember attending his bachelor party and him making a big deal out of their wedding date; February 14th, and how he would never have to worry about forgetting Valentine's Day because his wife would be talking about their anniversary." He paused his story as Lili cleared their plates, then leaning forward to take Kono's hand in his as he continued. "Then last week I'm at a business lunch, and I can hear these guys talking at the table behind me. They're all bummed about Valentine's Day coming up, because one of them forgot last year and got in trouble with his wife. And another one got home late because he got stuck in the 'Valentine line', which is apparently the line at the store at 5:30 on Valentine's Day, when all the men are stopping on their way home from work because they don't want to get in trouble and sleep on the couch because they showed up empty handed." He paused, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

She have a thoughtful nod of understanding before asking, "And what's the 'blatantly obvious' part of those scenarios?"

"That they are lucky enough to have someone special in their lives,... someone to go home to every night,... someone to love,... but they act like it's a hassle and they're more worried about staying out of trouble." He said as he looked into her eyes, "I mean, if a man is that lucky, he should look forward to a special day – to any opportunity, really - to tell that woman how much she means to him."

"Well, apparently not all of you men are idiots." She says thoughtfully.

"I hope not." He says, while using his free hand to push a small white box with a red bow across the table to her.

**(End Of Flashback)**

The hint of a smile on Adam's face faded as he was pulled from his private thoughts at the sound of Chin's phone ringing.

"That's okay, don't worry about the hair clip. We've already confirmed that it's Kono's." They all heard Chin say as they anxiously waited for him to finish.

"That was Charlie." Chin began, after hanging up, "The blood from the glove print is not from Pakala and got no hits in CODIS. But the blood spatter at the scene, as well as in the back of the van, both came back as Kono's. Also, Pakala's tox screen came back; two times the legal blood alcohol limit, and traces of crystal meth."

"So, perhaps Pakala is just hired muscle. He gets paid to help abduct Kono." Danny begins, thinking out loud, hand motions included, of course. "Now that he's flush with some extra cash, he scores himself some ice and hits the liquor store."

"Yeah." Steve sighs heavily. "Then wraps the stolen van around a light pole before we can get our hands on him."

"The second he wakes up,... I will be the one interrogating him." Chin declares, his finger on his own chest.

Adam didn't want to interrupt, but just couldn't take it any longer. "Excuse me,... but,... you found the van?"

"Oh, yeah, about that-" Danny begins explaining.

**MEANWHILE...**

Her neck hurt. In fact, her whole body just ached. She never did get that Halloween in Hoboken story from Danny. It wasn't necessary now, though, that's for sure. Oh, and try doing a roundhouse kick, barefoot. Definitely something to be avoided in the future. And while she was at it – cataloging the things she was pissed off about, that is – those were brand new shoes. She'd bought them to wear with the navy blue linen pants she was now wearing. That she would never get to wear again, because they now had a huge rip at the side of the knee. Another thing she was pissed off about.

The red marks around her wrists and ankles were already becoming prominent. Being bound with shackles would do that to a person. She hoped the guys found her before her list got too much longer.

** HAWAII FIVE-0 **

Yes, this chapter was shorter that previous ones, but I wanted to get the first part of "Joules" posted previously, so this is it's conclusion. I anticipate 5 more chapters to come in this story.

According to the research I did, it is not common in Korean to say Mr/Mrs/Miss in front of someone's name like we do in English. But rather to add to the end of someone's name like Lili did.

You ever watch a medical scene where the doctor says, "Charge to 300" before placing the paddles to the patients chest?... those are 300 'joules' being referred to. Joules are 'units of energy', usually used as a medical term, but also applies to stun guns and tasers.

Regarding the 'Noshimuri Group': in episode 1.13 - where Mary Ann is kidnapped & it is discovered that Hiro Noshimuri is the head of the Yakuza in Hawaii – Governor Jameson tells Steve that Hiro is "responsible for 1200 jobs in the shipping industry, plus 9 other companies". Then, when they are investigating his brother Koji, Chin has info on the wall monitor that shows an article titled "The Noshimuri Group" as he is talking about Koji's job. It was also mentioned that Hiro had homes in Dubai, Bangkok, Japan, Malibu, and 3 in Hawaii, so with 7 homes, I figured that $5m wasn't too much for Adam to get his hands on quickly. Some of this information will be referred to again in later chapters.

I got the idea of where to store the ransom money when I saw the gun locker in Five-0's HQ, during the Hookman episode. Guess I just never noticed it there before.

Wanna give a shout-out to my new beta reader Poisonedship.  
Whew! Now I've got someone to blame my mistakes on.  
Uh, I mean,... Poisonedship is much appreciated, so everyone give her a cyber wave. _waves_!

Had originally planned to have this posted last week, hence the reference to Valentine's Day being 'next week', but I didn't want to change that part. Hope the V-Day part didn't get too fluffy for you, but I wanted to make some valid points with that opportunity. So if you're lucky enough to have someone to love,... tell them!

Please leave a review before you go.


	7. Not Acceptable

**This is chapter 6, and is all about what happens on Saturday. **  
**This is part 1 "Not Acceptable"**

A/N: I know you're still curious about the envelope, and I promise you I have not forgotten it. It's just not time for you to find out what's in it yet. And as for Kono's whereabouts, well, you will get only glimpses, for now.

**SATURDAY MORNING, 6:12AM (time missing: 36)...**

"You look like shit." Danny stated matter-of-factly as he tossed the file folder down before plopping himself down in a chair in front of Steve's desk.

"Yeah." Steve mumbles in agreement, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his hands down his face. "And I still look better than you." He added, maintaining his somber tone as he leaned forward for the folder, sure that his partner hadn't gotten any sleep, either.

"And we both look better than Chin." Danny stated, glancing over his shoulder.

Danny's words made Steve look up at him, then out to Chin at the Smart Table. "Yeah." He mumbled in agreement, turning back to the file.

"Did he even go home last nigh?" Danny asks.

"Was here when I arrived, so I doubt it." Steve answers.

"I'll save you reading to the end. Pakala is dead." Danny stated.

Steve's eyes went immediately to the bottom line of the report. Sure enough, Kioki Pakala had died of his injuries at 4:07am, just two hours ago. "Damn." He sighed heavily, throwing the folder back down on his desk and leaned back in his chair again. "Did you tell Chin?"

Danny shook his head before mumbling, "No," He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, "I stopped by the lab on my way in. Apparently Charlie isn't sleeping, either, since he was already there. How do you wanna handle this?" He asked, knowing that Pakala's death killed their only lead in finding Kono.

"I don't think any of us are gonna sleep much until we have Kono back safe." Steve said. "I'm glad we passed that murdered couple case over to HPD. I know it feels like we're just twiddling our thumbs here, waiting for a lead, but we need to focus on finding Kono."

"Agreed. Now back to my question; How do you wanna handle this?"

"There's only one way to handle this." Steve states as he picks up the folder and pushes his chair back. "Honestly."

It was on the Smart Table monitor. All of it, and that wasn't saying much. Every bit of evidence they had on the 'Kalakaua Case' was right there in front of them,... and it didn't do them a damn bit of good.

And all staring up at the monitor as if it would magically speak to them is exactly how Sargent Lukela found them.

"Hey, Duke." Steve said, while still looking up at the monitor.

"Comma-" Luke began at the same time, but didn't bother to finish announcing himself.

Danny didn't quite know who to look at first, and nearly gave himself whiplash going back and forth quickly between the two. He should have known Steve would hear someone coming long before they entered. He should have even know that Steve would know who it was. He should know 'how', only that that's just the way it is with Steve.

"Any news, Duke?" Chin asked hopefully.

Lukela sadly shook his head and noticed Chin's shoulders fall. "I was stopping by to let you know HPD closed the murder investigation, and was hoping to get some news on Kono while I was here."

But the three silent men in front of him told Lukela all he needed to know; there would be no good news for him to take back to HPD.

"So, that was quick closure to the case." Steve stated, needing something to talk about. The old saying about 'idle hands' was true, and he knew 'idle minds' weren't much better. He'd used this tactic with his men on many SEAL missions.

"Um, yeah." Lukela began, picking up on Steve's overly-obvious clue. "Turned out it was the next door neighbor."

"Love triangle?" Danny asked.

"No." Lukela began, "The neighbor guy had suspected his wife was cheating on him. So after staying out all night drinking, he was so hammered when he got home that he entered the wrong apartment."

"He thought that was his wife. In bed with another man." Danny surmised.

Steve didn't wait for confirmation. "Where'd you find him?"

"The blood trail was quite confusing at first, because after he killed them, he left the apartment and went out drinking again. Then, when he returned, he managed to get in the correct apartment. So imagine he and his wife screaming their heads off at each other when they both woke up." Lukela said.

"Why's that?" Chin asked. The distraction wasn't really working, but every little bit helped and he appreciated their effort.

"His wife started screaming because she saw blood all over his shoes. Her screaming woke him up. Of course, he had just fallen asleep and was still hammered, so he started screaming because she's still alive." Lukela told them. "Officers just followed the screams."

"Soooo," Danny drug out, "Some innocent married couple – enjoying some 'couple time' – gets chopped up because..." He couldn't even finish his sentence, he was so disgusted.

"Yeah." Steve mumbles in agreement.

After a long pause, "We appreciate HPD taking over the case, Duke." Chin eventually stated on behalf of them all.

Lukela nodded in understanding before putting a hand on Chin's shoulder, "You'll find her. I know you will. And when you need help arresting the scum bags that took her, you know where to call."

Lukela departed a moment later as the guys returned their attention to the Smart Table. "Okay, let's go over this again." Steve said.

**AN HOUR LATER...**

"Wow. And I though we looked bad." Danny said quietly when he saw Adam being escorted through the glass doors. The man who usually oozed class looked so different. It's amazing how little-to-no sleep could change a person's appearance.

Adam spoke before he had even stopped his momentum. "Anything?" Was his desperate and simple plea.

Again, the silence of three men spoke volumes.

The stolen van had yielded little; only the prints of it's thief, Pakala, and it's rightful owners. They already knew the blood belonged to Kono and the crash victim, Pakala. And the stun gun found under the driver's seat, was a common model available for purchase too many places to track.

Simply put; there was just nothing to say... and the impact of that made Adam's shoulders fall even further, if that was possible.

"How did your meeting with the Yakuza lieutenants go?" Steve asked hopefully.

"Yes,... please tell us you gave away a hundred grand last night." Danny added.

"Yeah, too bad we weren't invited." Chin chimed in, a surly tone to his words. "But then, your guests probably wouldn't have appreciated being drug out of your house in cuffs."

Adam was not known for being a patient man, so he bit his lower lip and took a deep breath before speaking, "Those so called 'guests' were not welcome in my home, Lieutenant." He said as politely as he could muster.

"So, where'd you meet at?" Steve asked, needing to stick to the facts.

Danny held up a hand that just couldn't stay still, "Conference room." He guessed.

"They were not welcome in the conference rooms at any of my hotels, nor at my office, either." Adam said. "So we met at Ala Moana Park."

"The park?" Steve and Danny both said in surprise.

"It was hardly a formal meeting, gentlemen, and I preferred neutral ground. In fact, the whole thing was rather brief. I simply stated my offer and dismissed them." He explained.

"Dismissed them." Chin repeated. "Sounds like something their boss would do." He added.

"Habit." Adam admitted. "I'm used to concluding, to 'dismissing', meetings all the time." He explained. "Besides, it's not exactly like I wanted to hang out and chat with them." He huffed out.

"Adam, you said yesterday that you hadn't received any personal threats." Steve said to move the discussion along, both for information and to defuse the situation. "If the threats weren't personal, what were they?"

"Business." Adam answered with a shrug. "We do a lot of negotiating, make a lot of counter-offers, work with a lot of unions. It's hard to make everyone happy, and any number of things can stall a project, even cost people their jobs. We try not to let that happen, but it's not entirely avoidable." He explained.

"So any threats have been to your business, and not to your personally." Steve said to sum up, to which Adam just nodded.

"Okay. Okay, now what?" Danny asked, feeling the need to do more than just talk.

"Now, you and I are going to follow up on Pakala." Steve said. "He may be dead, but he still has a history we need to look at for clues."

"And I'm headed to Auntie and Uncle's house." Chin stated in a sad tone. Kono's parents still hadn't been told about their daughter's abduction.

"Yeah." Steve said with a slight nod as Chin turned to leave, then he turned to Adam. "Before you go,..." He paused, taking his keys out of his pocket as he walked over to the gun cage to open it. "... take this with you."

"It's, uh, it's been too long for us to expect a ransom demand." Danny explained unnecessarily as Adam sadly nodded in silence.

**NOON (41 hours missing)...**

"You sure I can't get you somethin' to eat?" Kamekona pleaded. He could see the stress radiating off the blond haole, and had already assumed from the multiple coffee stains on the Detective's tie that he wasn't going to eat anything,... just like the SEAL that now stood fifty feet away, arms crossed over his chest and staring out at the ocean.

Danny just shook his head at the offer. The mass amount of coffee he had already consumed to keep awake and force his body to keep moving was already eating away at his stomach. "The only thing I'm interested in is information."

"Wish I had some for ya, Brah." The Hawaiian man said deflated.

"Yeah." Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, let us know if you hear anything. Anything at all."

"You know I will." Kamekona assured him.

"I don't know what to do." Steve stated without moving, as he sensed Danny approaching him from behind.

Danny silently rubbed both hands down his face as he stopped beside his partner and joined him in staring out at the ocean. For once, he just didn't have anything to say.

"This is my team."

The bars Pakala had been to, all three of them, had been dead ends.

"I'm supposed to watch out for my team."

Pakala's ex-wife hadn't seen him in eight months.

"I promised to protect her. After the Lowry case, I promised her."

Pakala had gotten fired from his job managing a grocery store just two weeks ago.

"What am I gonna say to Chin?"

Pakala's matchbox apartment was anther dead end; no computer, no phone, plenty of unpaid bills.

"What am I gonna tell Mr. and Mrs. Kalakaua?"

Okay, now Danny had something to say.

"You're gonna tell them that we found their daughter, and that we got her back safe. Because that's what's gonna happen." Danny stated matter-of-factly, refusing to believe that anything short of that was going to happen. Because anything short of that was simply not acceptable.


	8. Swimming

Here is the second part of what happens on Saturday.

You've met Adam's business assistant Yoshio, and his cook Lili,  
now it's time to meet Kenta and Tadao.  
Kenta is head of security at the Noshimuri house.  
His name means 'strong' and 'stout'.  
Tadao manages things around the Noshimuri house.  
His name means 'loyal man'.

I previously mentioned that Kono-yang is 'Miss. Kono' in Korean.  
Likewise Adam-ssi is 'Mr. Adam', since last names are seldom used.

Since there will be some Japanese used in my story as well, I wanted to clarify that Noshimuri-sensi is as close to 'Mr. Noshimuri' as I could get, as it is how you would address a professional, and Kalakaua-sama is 'Miss. Kalakaua'. As in Korean, the suffix comes after the name, which is opposite to what we do in English.

I'm just clarifying the names used, since Japanese is spoken in the Noshimuri house, unless Kono or someone else who speaks Korean is there. I also wanna thank lilAzIaNpride24 for her assistance with any Korean translations in this story.

And of course my beta reader is PoisonedShip... Thank you!

**SATURDAY CONTINUES, 12:15pm (41hrs missing)...**

Lili placed the untouched plate back on the serving tray, determined to try again later. It bothered her that Noshimuri-sensi had not eaten, again.

She missed Kalakaua-sama, having another woman around the house somehow made it feel more like a home. She enjoyed cooking, hence her work for Noshimuri-sensi, who was always so polite and appreciative of her skills. But her duties included cooking for the rest of the staff as well, including the numerous guards who were there at the Noshimuri house daily. Not that they weren't polite, just less so.

Then there was Kalakaua-sama; always polite and easily pleased. But now, she was gone. Her absence was felt, not only in the house, but by all those she touched there.

Lili nearly dropped the serving tray when a loud noise startled her.

Adam was swimming, taking full advantage of the pool in his back yard. But this was no enjoyable glide through the water to escape the afternoon heat. No, this was stroke after stroke, and lap after lap. This was all about using pent up energy and relieving stress. And if there was one thing Adam had a huge amount of right now, it was stress. He had ignored muscles that began cramping several laps ago, refusing to stop his constant movement. Stopping would mean the immediate return of stress and his mind working overtime. No, it was best to continue his current path, this all-to-brief mental escape where all was well and he could imagine Kono reclined on the nearby lounge chair, in his favorite blue bikini, of course.

But his image of Kono was interrupted by the unmistakable underwater sound of someone else jumping into the pool. Something very few people would do. And before Adam could even stop his momentum to find out who dared invaded his private space, he felt that someone tugging on his arm, hard.

_'Hey, easy on the arm, man. I've got a muscle cramp there. No, I've got a bullet wound there. Why do I have a bullet wound there?'_Adam's mind was hopping from one thought to the next in only a few seconds as Kenta began pulling him from the water as another bullet flew past his chest, embedding itself in the decorative tile work at the pool's edge.

**SATURDAY, 1:00pm (42hrs missing)...**

Steve watched as Danny simultaneously hung up his phone and turn on the lights and sirens, as his own phone pinged with Adam Noshimuri's address.

"Adam has been shot." Was all Danny had to say.

Nothing else was said until they reached their destination in Hawaii Kai where Chin had also just arrived. They were greeted by the House Manager, Tadao, an older Japanese man in a suit and with more salt than pepper to his hair. A security guard was there as well, and together they immediately escorted Five-0, not through the main house, but through the side gate and around back to the small guest house.

They got as far as the doorway, which was blocked by a very large man. But one slight wave from Tadao had the man moving to the side so they could enter.

"I don't suppose Jumbo has a permit for that gun, does he?" Danny asked while jerking his thumb towards the very large Japanese man, who was clearly armed and had resumed his spot just outside the doorway.

"I believe you are referring to Kenta. And of course he does, Detective." Tadao politely confirmed.

A sudden hiss of pain focused their attention to the large chaise in the middle of the room, where Adam was sat with elbows on his knees and having a bullet removed from his upper right bicep.

"How can I not even feel getting hit by a bullet, and yet, right now it feels like you're trying to pull my arm off?" Adam asked the doctor through gritted teeth.

"Adrenaline." Steve answered from across the room.

"Adrenaline,... and the lack of Licocaine." The doctor clarified, clearly not amused that his patient was being what he deemed as 'uncooperative'.

"I don't need to be numb the rest of the day, just get the damn bullet out." Adam insisted as he pivoted his head in his hands towards the doctor, then back towards Five-0 before asking, "Any news yet?"

Once again, the silence of three men gave him all the answer he needed.

"Got it." The doctor announced just then, as he held up the forceps. "Looks like a 9mil."

"We're, uh, we're gonna need that." Chin said, stepping forward.

The doctor simply nodded as he placed the bullet in his gloved hand, then turned the glove right-side-out to encase it, and handed it over.

"Ya know, most people go to the hospital when they get shot." Danny stated.

"Most people don't have a doctor who makes bullet-removing house-calls." Chin accused.

"Why don't you tell us what happened." Steve redirected.

"Kenta." Adam called out, and that was all that was necessary for the guard at the door to turn and enter to make himself part of the conversation. Another guard quickly taking his place just outside the door.

"Gentlemen." The man greeted politely with a slight bow and in almost perfect English. Which, given his demeanor, surprised the Five-0 men. At 6'4", even Steve had to look up at him. "At approximately 12:45, the first bullet came from the northeast corner of the property, where the trees are the tallest, and struck Noshimuri-sensi in the arm. I called out to another guard, Tamo, before jumping in the pool. A second bullet followed, narrowly missing, and is still imbedded in a tile at the pool's edge. After securing Noshimuri-sensi here in the guest house, a full inspection of the property was done, as well as double-checking the security of the perimeter."

"Ex military?" Steve asked after hearing the thorough explanation.

Kenta nodded.

"How many security guards do you have here?" Danny asked.

"Five, at present." Kenta supplied.

"Five? And you only sent one to investigate the sniper's nest?"

"That is correct." Kenta answered in a still-serious tone. "It could have been a diversionary tactic, and I was not about to leave the rest of the property unsecured in a rush to one location. That would have been a tactical error." He explained.

"That's true." Steve quickly agreed, which earned a look from Danny. "Well it is." He defended with a shrug.

"And that," Adam interrupted, "is why Kenta is my Chief of Security."

Steve nodded in agreement, "So, Kenta, what did Tamo find?"

"Scuff marks on the perimeter wall, indicating it had been scaled. Disturbed foliage a broken lower branch from one of the trees, indicating it had been climbed. Two shell casings on the ground." Kenta supplied.

"Okay. We're gonna need to get to the scene and secure it." Steve said.

"Tamo is still there, waiting for you and making sure nothing gets touched." Kenta said.

"Chin, you head over to meet Tamo. Danny and I will stay here and talk to the rest of the staff." Steve instructed.

And with that said all Kenta did was click his radio and the guard that had taken his place at the door immediately entered. "Take Lieutenant Kelly to Tamo." He instructed, and Chin followed the other guard out.

"I'll call Fong and get him over here to process the scene." Danny said, pulling out his phone.

"If that sniper had been a few inches off, you'd be calling Max instead." Steve said, focusing on the seriousness of the situation.

"Speaking of which, I've received two text messages from him so far today, inquiring about Kono." Danny said as he watched the doctor bagging up his supplies.

"Yeah. Me, too." Steve said with a heavy sigh.

"Sometimes I miss the days when Max didn't trust phones." Danny joked as he turned to make the call to Charlie.

Steve nodded and turned to hide his smirk. The light moment a brief reprieve to the seriousness of the situation.

"Is it safe to presume, Commander, that your presence here and taking possession of the bullet will suffice my legal requirement to report a gun shot wound?" The doctor asked, as he handed over one of his business cards so they would have his contact information.

"Yes, it will Doctor." Steve answered, accepting the card.

"My apologies, gentlemen." Adam said, pulling the t-shirt over his head. It was a bit of a struggle, but he wasn't about to let anyone see the scratches on his back. "Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, this is Dr. Phillip Choa. Dr. Choa, Commander McGarrett is in charge of the Governor's Five-0 Tast Force."

"Commander," The doctor greeted before turning his attention to his patient. "I'll be back to check on that tomorrow. In the meantime, remember to keep it dry. So definitely stay out of the pool. One bullet is more than enough." And following those instructions, the doctor left.

"So, I hear that 'Jumbo' has a permit for that gun he's packing." Steve stated.

"Yes, he does, Commander." Adam said, returning to his spot on the chaise. "All of my personal employees are required to take gun safety courses and get certified, and all guns on the premises must be registered."

"Part of legitimizing everything?" Steve assumed.

Adam nodded.

"So," Danny began, as he addressed Tadao out by the pool, "swimming, huh?" He wasn't sure why it had struck him as odd that Adam would be swimming, after all, it wasn't like Adam could really do anything to assist with the investigation other than cooperate. But still, it did.

"Noshimuri-sensi swim to, uh,... de-stress." Tadao explained, struggling slightly to find the right adjective.

"Well, there's sure enough of that to go around." Danny noted.

"It has been very bad, every since..."

"Yeah." Danny mumbled in agreement. "So, what's your title around here?" He asked, as the older man was clearly not one of the guards.

"I am House Manager." Tadao answered.

"House Manager?" Danny needed clarification on that one.

Tadao nodded, "I schedule the staff, cleaning, and maintenance. I plan any events that will be hosted here. I pay the bills... as you say,... make sure the lights stay on? I do this for all three Noshimuri houses. Oh, I also make sure everyone up to date on their gun permits." The serious man added that last part with a grin.

Danny was tempted to let the statement about 'three houses' go but asked, "So, does he use all three houses?"

"He stay at this one most of the time, and brother stay at one on Maui right now. But their father's family from Japan and mother's family from Korea often use the other ones on vacation."

"I see. So, you schedule the guards, too?" Tadao nodded. "Five guards? Is that the norm?"

"Sometimes more, sometimes less. It depends." Tadao answered.

"Depends on what?" Danny pressed.

"If meetings or other events are held here. If guests are coming, especially Kalakaua-sama. If Noshimuri-sensi is out of town. There are several things that factor into how many guards are here at any given time." Tadao ticked off.

Danny put up a hand to stop him, "If Kalakaua is here?"

"Oh yes. If Kalakaua-sama is here, then there are more guards. Noshimuri-sensi take no risk when she is here." He explained.

"You, uh, you seem to know the Noshimuri family very well." Danny observed.

"My father worked for his grandfather. I was raised in their house in Hamura, and my first job was working for his father."

"And now for Adam."

"He is third generation first-born son in the Yakuza... who now chooses against the Yakuza. He is an honorable man, Detective."

"Danny!" Chin called out at that moment as he re-entered the back yard with Tamo and Special Agent Thomas in tow. "We may have a lead."

Tadao lead the men back into the guest house where Adam and Steve were still talking.

"So, why are you taking pictures on my property?" Adam asked in an irritated tone after introductions had been made. "Wait." He said, holding up a hand before crossing his arms over his chest. "I recognize you now, from the airport. You were taking pictures of us there, too."

Thomas nodded. "Actually, I was documenting the arrival of your brother."

"By taking pictures of Kono and I, before Michael had even arrived." Adam stated rather than asked.

"Context." Thomas stated with a shrug, earning him a glare from Adam and Danny chose to keep quiet about Michael being on Maui.

"So," Steve interrupted, "Today. Here. Now." He firmly urged.

"Right." Thomas focused, slinging his camera off his shoulder. "Jun Suzuki is a known underling and thug in the Yakuza. I managed to get pictures of him arriving and climbing the tree."

"What? No scaling the wall?" Danny said with full sarcasm as Chin checked out the photos on the camera, Steve looking at the images over his shoulder.

"I, uh,... couldn't see him scaling the wall." Thomas admitted. Danny's hand movements were all the wordless prodding he needed to continue. "Because,... I was already on the property myself." He reluctantly admitted.

"So what happened next?" Steve asked.

"We already know what happened next, Commander." Adam interrupted, then turned back to Thomas. "A better question is; why didn't you stop the guy from shooting me?!"

"Now that,... is a valid question." Danny agreed, looking from Adam to Thomas and waiting for an answer.

"Look, Adam-" But Thomas suddenly closed his mouth at the glare he got from the man, then cleared his throat and started over. "Mr. Noshimuri, I'm sorry you got shot. Really I am. But whatever weapon he used, he must have assembled once he got up in the tree, because I did not know he even had a weapon on him."

"Adam," Steve said, wanting to defuse the no-win situation. "Do you recognize the man?" He asked, turning the camera's view window to show him.

"No. No I don't." He said with a slight shake of his head.

"Are you sure?" Chin asked.

"Despite your suspicions of me, Lieutenant Kelly, I am too busy legitimizing my family's business to have time to hang out with Yakuza underlings and thugs." Adam answered, then thrust the camera back at Thomas as he said, "Now get off my property."

But Thomas wasn't done. "Just one more question." He began as he thumbed through the photos on his camera. "This picture of you and Officer Kalakaua; what's in the envelope?"

But Adam wasn't taking the bait. During her walk-and-talk through the parking garage Kono had told him all about Thomas' visit to the Five-0 HQ that morning.

"Kenta." Adam called out without breaking eye contact, at which the large man, who up until then had been standing silently at the door, was by his side almost immediately. "Escort Thomas off my property."

But Kenta barely made it out the door with Thomas before his radio chirped. He listened via an ear piece and responded, before quickly returned to Adam's side. "二つの侵入者は、ちょうど家の西 ;の端に入ろうとした後、逮捕され ました" ("Two intruders have just been apprehended, after attempting to enter at the West end of the house.") He said.

"So, it was a tactical diversion after all." Steve surmised, understanding every word of the spoken Japanese.

Kenta gave a slight nod in agreement, "They are being held for you and your team, Commander." He said. "Tamo will show you the way."

Steve translated for Danny, but only a little bit was necessary for Chin, as the three followed Tamo. They found two more of Adam's guards with guns drawn but not pointed at two men on the floor secured with zip-ties.

Twenty minutes later 2 more Yakuza underlings and thugs were being put in the back of an HPD cruiser.

"Do you recognize them?" Danny asked.

"I've seen them before, but I don't know who they are." Adam stated.

"When did you see them last?"

"Yesterday. At the park."

"At the meeting you had with the Yakuza Lieutenants." Steve guessed.

Adam nodded. "They weren't part of the meeting, but I remember passing them in the parking lot. They were hanging out by the cars." He said, then asked, "Why would they try to break in here if they already have Kono?"

"They could be after you, too." Danny said.

"Or something here in the house even." Steve added. "Whatever their reason, we'll find out."

Another twenty minutes later they were on their way to interrogate the two intruders, and hopefully find out where their missing team member was.

"Did you know that Adam has 3 houses?" Danny asked from his usual spot in the passenger seat. "I mean, seriously, who needs more than one house?"

"Actually, he has seven." Steve clarified.

If Steve was honest, he'd admit to being rather proud of himself at the moment. He had actually managed to shock Danny into silence.

Danny finally turned his head towards his partner, "Seven? That's... that's just... ridiculous." He eventually got out with a shake of his head.

"He inherited them." Steve added for more clarification.

"Oh, well, in that case-"

"What's wrong with that? I inherited my dad's house, and you don't get all bent out of shape about that."

"That, Steven, is because your dad was a working class guy, like the rest of us. He worked hard and made his way up the HPD ladder in order to buy that house for his family."

"Only three are here in Hawai'i." More clarification.

"Oh, well,... because that makes all the difference."

"You're just jealous."

"Jealous? Did you just accuse me of being jealous? I, Steven, am not jealous. What I am, is frustrated at trying to scrape up enough cash for a down payment on this overpriced island to trying and buy one... just one, Steven,... just one house. That's all I want. Is that too much to ask? Just one little house to call my own, for me and my daughter."

Fortunately for Steve, both he and Danny's phones rang and ended his little rant before he really got going.

"That was Duke." Danny began after they had both hung up. "Yuu Itou and Rika Yamomoto are HPD's latest house guests."

"Yeah, well, hopefully they can tell us where Kono is." Steve said as he pulled into the HPD parking lot.

"They're Yakuza. They know. The question is; are they willing to tell us where Kono is?" Danny clarified.

"Oh,.. trust me... They. Are. Going. To Tell. Us." Steve said as a huge grin slowly overtook his face.

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

The rest of what happens on Saturday will continue next time.


	9. Ch6, pt3, What's In A Name

**Chapter 6, part 3 of Saturday "What's In A name"**

A/N: I've always wished they had shown how Kono and Adam met. Because I just cannot believe that she would knowingly fall for a bad guy. But how would she get beyond him being Hiro Noshimuri's son to get to know him? Well, since the show didn't answer these questions for us, my muse took over. So, let's start with this; It was only Steve, Joe, and Chin who saw Adam in the S2 episodes 11-14. We never saw Kono & Adam together until S2.E22 when they were already in an established relationship.

A/N: Speaking of our kick-ass girl... my original plan was for each chapter to represent one day and to end with a little peek at what was going on with Kono. Of course that was before Friday/Ch.5 turned into 2 parts ("Joules 1 & 2") and Saturday/Ch.6 turned into 3 parts ("Not Acceptable", "Swimming", "What's In A Name"). So, even though it may seem like you haven't seen Kono in quite a while, it's only been one day and I'm going to stick with my plan for now.

As always, my thanks to PoisonedShip for the beta read.

So, who wants to know why Steve was smiling? - well, just keep reading to find out.

**Chapter 6, part 3: "What's In A Name"**

"Oh,.. trust me... They. Are. Going. To Tell. Us." Steve said as a huge grin slowly overtook his face. He exited the car and watched as Chin parked next to them.

"Why are you smiling?" Danny asked, then turned to Chin. "He's smiling, that can't be good. Why is he smiling?"

Both men turned to Steve for the answer, not sure if they should also be happy, or perhaps worried.

"Because, that was the Governor that just called me." Steve began his answer, "He has already gotten word of Itou and Yamomoto's arrests, and is concerned that it appears the Yakuza could be involved in an officer abduction. So,..." He paused, "he just wanted to make sure we understood, before interrogating them, that full means and immunity are to be used to extract any information necessary to get Kono back."

Okay,... now Danny and Chin were smiling, too.

**ALMOST FIVE HOURS LATER, JUST BEFORE 7pm...**  
**(now 48 hours missing)**

Steve, Danny, and Chin pulled into the Five-0 parking lot to find Adam exiting his car to stand and wait for them. The man looked worn. Being shot clearly hadn't helped with the exhausted appearance he had already had.

"Anything?" Came the familiar plea. "Did they tell you where Kono is? Did they say why they took her?" He rambled off.

Instead of answering, Danny silently ushered Adam inside with them, much to the relief of his body guards who didn't like their charge out in the open like this. It had been hard enough to get him to stay in the car until the Five-0 members arrived.

Chin went immediately to the Smart Table and pulled up the files on Itou and Yamamoto.

Steve stood nearby and sighed heavily before speaking. "There's good news and then there's,... well, just 'news'."

"They sang like canaries." Danny interrupted, not able to keep quiet any longer and finding Steve's brief pause enough of an opening.

"Yes, they did." Steve agreed, "And they're both singing the same song; that they had nothing to do with Kono's abduction, nor were they at your house to abduct you."

"Then what were they doing there?" Adam all but demanded.

"Looking for that." Steve answered, gesturing towards the gun cage.

_Previously..._  
_Steve: "Before you go, take this with you."_  
_Danny: "It's been too long for us to expect a ransom demand."_  
_Adam: "Just leave it for now." He half stated and half requested. The idea of taking the ransom money back just seemed to final for him to deal with at the moment._

"So, the question is, how would they know about the ransom money, since no ransom call ever came in?" Danny mused.

"Who else did you tell about the $5m? Who else would assume it was at your house?" Steve asked before realizing he didn't have Adam's full attention. "Adam?"

"Fourteen." Adam mumbled, running a hand through his hair and down his unshaven face before gripping both hands into fists. "Fourteen of my executives." He clarified in a slightly more normal voice.

"You told fourteen of your employees about the $5m?" Danny repeated, now the one to run a hand through his hair. "I've gotta ask; Why?"

"Because $100k wasn't enough." Adam answered.

"Wait, what?" Steve and Danny mumbled over each other's words.

"My original offer, to my executives,... I increased it."

"You increased the offer from $100k to $5m?" Danny said, hands chopping at the air and more that just a little dumbfounded.

Adam threw his hands in the air in frustration, "Yes. After you told me to take the money back, that there was no ransom call coming, I went home and ordered another video conference with all my executives. It was held early this morning." He paused and saw the surprised look on their faces, "I don't care about the damn money,... or even who gets it. I just want Kono back!"

Steve let out a deep sigh and nodded in understanding of the man's frustration, "Yeah, we know." He said, clamping a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Okay." Danny said as he rubbed his hands together, needing to focus, "So this means there's a good chance that Underling and Thug are telling the truth. Well, at least the part about not having Kono."

"After the interrogation we just put them through, they'd better be." Chin said, finally speaking up. Not that he'd admit it, but that full means and immunity interrogation they'd just conducted did help him release quite a bit of pent up frustration.

"This also means," Danny continued, as he crossed his arms over his chest, "that Underling and Thug weren't at your house on behalf of the Yakuza. They've obviously got a side-gig going with one of your fourteen."

"Well, at least on the plus side, you were right." Steve said to Adam. "You knew one of your executives were holding out on you."

"Yeah." Adam puffed out. That little confirmation did nothing to appease him at the moment. "So, uh,... now what?" He questioned.

Adam wasn't the only one with that question, so Steve addressed them all when he answered, "We've ruled out ransom. We've ruled out the Yakuza, at least for now. So, it's time to start looking at past cases. Chin, we'll need a list of the perps Kono has helped us put away, check and see who may have been recently released. Danny, once he has even one name, I need you to start tracking them down." He instructed.

"Fortunate for us, Five-0 is only 3 years old and Kono's not a 20 year veteran, or this would take forever." Danny said as he headed for his office and Chin's fingers were already flying across the Smart Table.

Steve realized that in Kono's short 3 year history with Five-0 that she'd worked at least as many high-profile cases as those on the force that had put in the 20 years Danny had referred to. Unlike every other cadet coming out of the academy Kono hadn't had to put in her early years behind the wheel of a cruiser and writing parking tickets. And Five-0 was far the better for it.

Steve was pulled from his thoughts as for some reason he noticed Adam standing near the gun cage. He wondered over and asked, "Did you want to take it now?"

"Huh?" Adam asked, turning towards Steve.

"The money." Steve clarified, gesturing to the duffel bags. "Did you want to-"

"Pffy." Adam puffed out with an accompanying hand wave as if the duffel bags were somehow offensive. "I don't care about that. I was just looking at this cage. It reminds me of Kono." Then he smirked at noticing the look on Steve's face in response to his words. "Here." He said, pulling out his cell phone and bringing up a photo.

It was the photo that had been on the front page of the newspaper, featuring Kono in full tactical gear with a rifle over her shoulder.

Steve couldn't help the slight smile that came to his face. "She made us all proud." He said. Adam was right, the gun cage would remind anyone of Kono, well, anyone that really knew her.

"I know a guy at the newspaper, who sent me a copy from the digital original. I was gonna have it enlarged and hung in my office." Adam said, suddenly avoiding eye contact.

"But?" Steve drug out, sensing that there was more to the story.

"But,... Kono nixed that idea." He said with a dismissive shrug, before finally adding, "Apparently poster size is too big for my office. Or at least she thinks so."

Steve's brows scrunched, "Can't you just put an 8x10 on your desk like everyone else does?" He teased, unknowingly duplicating Kono's words.

"That's uh," Adam paused, and slowly let out a breath to keep his emotions in check. "That's exactly what Kono said."

"Hey." Steve said with a hand on his shoulder to get his attention again, "Hey,... we're gonna find her." He assured.

"I can't lose her." There was a pleading to Adam's words.

"You won't. Because we're not going to lose her, either." Steve assured the man, as well as himself, as he handed back the phone. "So, I'm curious. If you don't mind my asking, how did you and Kono meet?" He asked as he gestured towards his office.

That question elicited a smile from Adam as he gave a slight nod and followed Steve into his office. Steve poured two cups of coffee as Adam pulled up another picture on his phone.

Steve handed over one of the cups in exchange for the phone and looked at the picture. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it, which was apparent to Adam who spoke, "It hangs in Kono's living room." He answered the unasked question.

Of course. That's where Steve recognized the large painting from. "But, uh, why do you have it on your phone, and what does it have to do with your meeting Kono?" He asked, taking a seat in the spare chair in front of his desk.

"You, uh," Adam began, glancing out at the Smart Table. "You have to promise not to tell Chin."

He could tell that Steve was mulling over the idea of keeping something from his colleague,... his friend,... Kono's cousin.

"Okay." Steve agreed without too much hesitation. "After all, it's not like it's my story to tell in the first place."

Adam took a deep breath before blurting out, "Malia introduced us."

Okay, now that got Steve's attention,... and his eyes to just about pop out of his head. Good thing he hadn't just taken a drink of his coffee. No wonder the man didn't want Chin to know.

"There was a fundraiser at the hospital. An auction, and Dr. Kelly was helping, something to do with her pediatric cancer patients." Adam said before Steve could say anything, then realized he should probably back his story up just a bit. "You see, my work for The Noshimuri Group was always done out of New York, and when I came to Hawai'i, it was usually on behalf of my mother's family business, Nashima Enterprises." He paused, making sure the other man was following him so far. It appeared he was, so he continued, "My mother's maiden name was Nashima, and her family owns Nashima Enterprises. She had always been a generous supporter of the childrens' wing at the hospital, and even thought she returned to Korea 10 years ago and hasn't been back on the islands since, Nashima Enterprises' local office continues to donate on her behalf. So, Dr. Kelly had stopped by the office to personally invite us to an art auction they were having."

"Keep going." Steve encouraged as he raised his coffee cup. His curiosity was peaked and he was looking forward to how this little story ended.

"The evening of the auction came, I went. And in walked Kono, late, after the bidding had already started. I outbid her on the painting, just for a chance to meet her." Adam said, pausing with a slight smile at the memory, "Dr. Kelly was actually the one to make the introductions, but she, uh,... she introduced me as 'Adam Nashima'. Which isn't entirely incorrect and a name I went by often for business purposes, so I just ignored it."

"Okay," Steve paused the man with an upheld hand. "So, because you were here working on behalf of your mother's side of the family, you were introduced as Nashima, instead of Noshimuri."

"Correct." Adam confirmed with a slight nod.

"And exactly when did you tell Kono who your father was?"

This time Adam's smile came with a slight blush. "On our third date." At seeing Steve's attempt to mouth words, he cut him off, "I only visited my father when I came to the islands, and my only work here back then was for my mother." At this he had to hold up a hand to stop Steve from speaking, but he was on a roll. "Don't you see, Commander, Kono had the chance to get to know me. Not just Hiro Noshimuri's son, but me."

Steve reclined back in his chair, finally realizing what a twisted hand life had dealt Adam.

**MEANWHILE...**

Kono's nice navy blue linen dress pants, that previously only had a rip at the side of the knee, were now in shreds, literally. Well, at least from the knees down. Maybe one of her Aunties could work their sewing magic and she'd at least end up with a pair of walking shorts out of them. Maybe. Because, hey, they'd always wanted to teach her how to sew, right. Another maybe, although not likely. It's surprising the things your mind comes up with when you're bored out of,... well, your mind.

It had been 48 hours. Two days. Twice the sun had come up, and two more times the sun had gone down. She was pretty sure about that sun thing, as the large boarded up windows let in just enough light around the edges for her to tell. Okay, yeah, she was really, really bored. And don't even get her started on how many tiles there were in the ceiling. She would know, because she has been staring up at them for two days now. Or how many times she'd tried to pick the locks on the shackles, or the cuffs, because, yeah, there were both. And she had a brilliant idea of using the clasp on her hair clip, but it was gone. Another thing to add to her list of things she was pissed off about.

Oh, if only boredom was her only problem. The shredded fabric from her pants was being put to too good of use as make-shift bandages wrapped around her raw and blistered wrists and ankles. A buffer, as it were, between the unforgiving metal and her painful flesh.

A sudden twinge in her neck made her headache ratcheted up a notch. Oh great, she'd just add that to the underlying dizziness that just wouldn't go away, ya know, since she had nothing else to do. She leaned her head onto the wall as best she could, as she was neither able to sit up completely nor lie down completely. She was definitely gonna need a chiropractor when this was over.

As darkness nearly enveloped the musty old room, she cold hear the tell-tale sounds of her captor's return. She pushed her hair off her sweaty face and clutched her hands into fists, but not to fight. No, she would have to save a good kick-ass moment for another time, as the rusty old lead pipe she was shackled to made that impossible right now. No, her fisted hands would conceal what else the strips of fabric were for.

Uh, guys, my list is gettin' kinda long.


	10. Ch7, pt1, Liability

Well, Folks, it looks like everything that happens on Sunday isn't going to fit just one posting, either.  
So, here is part 1 of Chapter 7, "Liability"

**Sunday, 4:27am, 58 hours missing...**

Steve's heart rate went from a normal healthy resting rate of about 50 to a pounding 150 in only a few seconds as he jerked awake and grabbed for his phone. "McGarrett." He sternly answered, as he twisted his body to sit up on the edge of his bed.

"I'm on my way." He said a few seconds later before hanging up. He ran a shaky hand over his unshaven face and through his unkempt hair before letting out a heavy sigh as the adrenaline rush subsided. He felt the stare on his back and turned to see Catherine's brown eyes on him. "There's a body." He said to answer her unasked question.

"I'll make some coffee while you're in the shower." She offered as she began pushing the covers back.

His hand stilled her motion before he spoke, "I showered last night." He reminded her. "And I don't have time." He added before standing and reaching for his shirt.

Catherine gave only a silent nod of understanding. He hadn't slept or eaten properly for days now. It both showed on him and worried her. It was a good thing she had a plan.

**Twenty minutes later on the North Shore...**

"What have we got, Max?" Steve asked as he quickly approached the hunched over M.E.

"My preliminary exam indicates a young, Asian, female, drowning victim." Max said as he stood up, before quickly adding, "That I have already determined is not Officer Kalakaua." At seeing the immediate relief on his face, Max continued. "Although the victim has been on the menu of several marine animals, making both facial recognition and finger prints impossible, I have at least been able to ascertain that she is no taller than 5'2",... and Officer Kalakaua is 5'9" tall."

Steve exhaled heavily in relief before feeling a slight twinge of guilt. Although he had every right to feel glad it wasn't their Kono, this victim was still someone's daughter.

**McGarrett Home...**

"Oh look, Catherine, you've already got a grease stain on your new shirt." Doris said, gesturing towards the spot.

Catherine stepped back from the stove where she was cooking sausage to look down at the stain, "Oh, that's not from cooking. That's from massage oil."

Doris froze, coffee cup half way to her mouth.

At seeing the other woman's arched brow, Catherine clarified, "Oh, not like that. I was, uh, working some knots out of Steve's shoulders so he could try and get some sleep."

"Looked like he was nearly dead on his feet last night. Or was that early this morning? Anyway, I'm surprised he even made it up the stairs."

"True." Catherine agreed, "But he can either have fitful, disturbed sleep because he went to bed so stressed, or he can have actual restful sleep,... which he desperately needed."

Doris nodded in understanding, "I'll be so glad when they find Kono. All three of those men look equally bad. No sleep, unshaven, and surviving on coffee."

"That's why we're doing this." Catherine said as she noticed Doris pushing things around in a lower cabinet. "Looking for something?"

"Yeah." Doris said, then stood up with her hands on her hips. "I can't find the juicer."

"Oh, it's right over there." Catherine said, pointing out the item on the far counter.

Doris crunched a brow, "That's not where it's kept."

Catherine shrugged, "That's where Steve has always kept it. He's pretty picky about where things are in his kitchen. It's like everything has an assigned spot." She lightly teased.

**6:45am Five-0 HQ, now 60 hours missing...**

"Okay," Danny began with a wave of his hand as he, Chin, and Steve all stood around the Smart Table, "So the question is, does this morning's drowning victim have anything to do with Kono's disappearance?" He asked, looking back and forth between the two men.

"According to Max, there was no indication of it being a homicide." Chin said from the opposite side of the table. "So unless the toxicology report, which isn't back yet, turns up with something, there's no reason to think she did anything other than drown."

"Okay, but why wasn't she even reported missing?" Steve threw into the conversation.

"Maybe she's a working girl and no one knows she is missing yet." Danny said, throwing out the only idea he could come up with.

"Or a run away." Chin said, thinking out loud. "We can't judge by her appearance, and without a name we have no idea how old she is, and it could be nothing more than coincidence that she and Kono have the same general description; Asian and female."

"Okay, once Max finishes the facial reconstruction and Fong can get us a composite photo, let's get HPD to show it around to the working girls in all the areas they frequent." Steve said.

They were all grateful that Max, Fong, and everyone had been both willing and able to come in and help with the case over the weekend, or anything else that they thought might help them find Kono.

"So, what do we do now?" Danny had just asked when he heard the familiar voice.

"Danno!"

All three men turned at once to see the little girl pushing the heavy door open, then come bounding through it with her pig tails flying behind her.

"Grace," Danny said in surprise at seeing his daughter there. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he bent down to hug her as Catherine, Gabby, and Malia all followed the little girl in.

"We brought you breakfast, Daddy." She answered, gesturing excitedly to the baskets the women carried.

"Breakfast?" All three men chorused with curious expressions.

"Uh huh." Grace confirmed with an enthusiastic nod that sent her pig tails bouncing. "Auntie Malia, Auntie Catherine, and Dr. Gabby all said that you have been so busy working on a very important case that you don't even have time to eat."

"So, we brought the food to you." Malia added with a half-worried look at her husband.

The men all looked at each other dumbfounded, and even a little bit helpless, as the women silently guided them towards the break room.

"Auntie Malia cooked the eggs, 'cause she says Uncle Chin will only eat them one way. Dr. Gabby fried the potatoes, and put onions in them, just the way you like, Danno. And Auntie Catherine cooked the sausage, 'cause she says there's only one kind Uncle Steve will eat." Grace rambled off as the women began unloading the baskets.

"They did, huh?" Danny asked as his daughter was handed a stack of napkins to distribute. "And did you get to help?"

"Uh huh." Grace answered as she began walking around the table to distribute the napkins. "I made the pancakes!" She announced excitedly. "Well, actually, I just flipped 'em."

"Oh, well, that is a very important assignment. Expert pancake flipping is a skill." He said as he watched her repeat the process with the silverware.

"Auntie Malia set up a griddle on the dining room table at their house where Auntie Catherine was squeezing oranges, 'cause there was no more room at the stove." She further explained as Catherine began pouring said orange juice while Malia and Gabby filled plates.

Malia wiggled a finger at Chin, indicating that he was to sit in front of the filled plate on the table while Catherine did the same to Steve, and Grace pushed a chair closer to her dad and climbed into it as Gabby sat on the other side of him. The Detective was literally sandwiched by the two women in his life, and while that scenario would usually make him smile, he now felt helpless.

"You want some coconut syrup, Danno?" Grace asked as she poured both coconut and maple syrups on her pancake at the same time.

"Um, no thanks, Monkey. You go ahead." He said, hesitantly picking up his fork and giving Chin a sideways glance as the other men did the same thing. It wasn't that they didn't appreciate what the women in their lives had done, they completely did, but the very idea of eating just wasn't going over very well with any of their stomachs right now,... not with Kono still missing.

"Grace put blueberries in them, just the way you like, Danny." Gabby said, finally speaking up. She and the other women had already eaten, but were staying to make sure the men did... and if that didn't work,... well, there was always Grace to help with that part.

"Here ya go, Uncle Chin." Grace said esthetically as she slid the syrup bottle towards him. As if being the designated 'pancake flipper' wasn't enough, the little girl was excited just to be there with the women and helping out. Of course, she had no idea why Kono wasn't at the table as well, why the men had skipped breakfast, or why her daddy obviously hadn't shaven in the last 2 days,... and no one was going to tell her, either.

Across the table Steve was managing another bite of the fried potatoes. They were good, they really were, and apparently he wasn't the only one who preferred them with onions. Although he truly did appreciate all the work the women had obviously gone to, it didn't make eating any easier as his mind kept going back to their missing team member and that did nothing but make his stomach churn.

Back across the table Chin had reluctantly joined Danny in humoring Grace and trying her favorite combination of coconut and maple syrups. One look between the two men told the same story of wishing there was one more person seated at the table.

At that moment Steve glanced up to see Adam Noshimuri being escorted in by Sargent Lukela. With just the excuse he needed, Steve excused himself from the table, despite a stern look from Catherine, and stepped out of the break room. The freshly changed bandage on Adam's arm did not go unnoticed as it peaked out from the short sleeve of the t-shirt he wore with jeans, his usual formal attire long gone.

"Tell me it wasn't her." Adam demanded. Gone was his usual single-worded and all to familiar request for information. "I saw it on the news. Tell me it wasn't Kono." He pleaded.

"It wasn't her." Steve immediately informed the man and noticed a huge sigh of relief from him as well as Lukela who was obviously waiting for the answer as well. He suppressed the urge to feel happy because it again brought guilt with it. Instead he gave the Sargent a nod and watched him leave in his peripheral vision, knowing he would head straight back to HPD and inform everyone else.

Adam turned and place two shaky hands on the edge of the Smart Table, leaning into it for support, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths.

"Hey, you okay?" Steve asked with a step forward at noticing just how shaken up the other man was.

Adam didn't respond at first, but finally turned just his head before speaking, "I can't loose her, Commander. Not again. I just can't."

"Again?" Steve asked, his hands now on the edge of the table as well.

"Having her drown once was more than I ever wanted to see." Adam said, his head now bowed down with eyes closed. "If that had been her-"

"Wait. Stop. Drown?" Steve ordered with Danny-like hand gestures, Adam finally looking up at him.

Adam nodded his head once, a look of confusion on his face. "Yeah. After Chin called me. Delano." He prodded, then it dawned on him as he pushed back from the table to stand fully, "She didn't tell you, did she?"

Steve shook his head. "No, she didn't."

"When I pulled her from the water, she wasn't breathing. I had to resuscitate her." Adam informed, a brief far-away look in his eyes before shaking his head at the horrible memory.

"Oh sh-"

"Uncle Steve!"

"sh- uh, oh, hey, Gracie."

"Auntie Catherine says your eggs are getting cold." Grace informed him from the doorway where she propped the heavy glass door open with her foot.

"You tell her I'll be right there." Steve requested with a fake smile and watched her release the door and go back into the break room.

"Is that Detective Williams' daughter?" Adam asked with a nod towards the now closed door.

"Grace." Steve informed. "Or, in today's case; the 'Food Police'."

"Ah." Adam mumbled in understanding. "Kono has spoken of her."

"You, uh, wanna join us?" Steve offered with a gesture towards the food source.

Adam shook his head adamantly, "No, uh, thank you, Commander. But the very idea of food right now-"

"Yeah. I know what you mean."

"It seems like every time I turn around someone on my staff is trying to shove food at me." Adam said with a shake of his head and looking almost disgusted at the very idea. "I mean, how can I eat not knowing where Kono is. Is someone feeding her? Is she even alive?"

"Hey,... we're gonna find her. She'll be okay." Steve assured as the break room door opened again.

"You've never see Kono eat, have you?" Adam mumbled as he noticed someone was walking towards them.

"Mr. Nashima." Malia greeted as she approached, surprised to see the man outside of the more familiar fund-raising environments.

"Dr. Kelly." Adam greeted in return, shaking her hand.

"Adam just stopped by to see if we've got any new information on Kono." Steve said.

"Little did I know when I introduced you two-" Malia began, trying to force a smile.

Despite the current situation, those unfinished words made Adam smile at the memory. "Yeah." He was all he said with a slight blush.

"So, did Kono ever tell you how relieved she was when you out-bid her on that painting?" Malia asked.

"No, she didn't." Adam answered, surprised at the admission.

Malia smirked, "Well, since she'd gotten there late, she missed the auctioneer's introduction and didn't hear the part about bids being in thousands." She explained almost sheepishly.

"Wait,... in thousands?" Steve questioned, not having been to an auction himself.

"Yeah. For example; when you bid '50' you're really bidding '$50,000'." Malia explained.

"And Kono didn't know this." Steve said in confirmation.

Malia nodded, "So, when she had bid 72 on the painting, just because she liked the color for her living room-"

"She was really bidding $72,000." Steve said in understanding as Malia gave a nod.

"Wow." Was all Steve could say at first. "Now wonder she was happy about that." He finally added while trying to suppress a smirk. "And you outbid her '72' just to meet her?"

Adam just gave a nod before turning to Malia, "And thank you for that introduction, by the way."

"You introduced them?" Chin asked his wife as he approached from behind her.

"Yes." Malia said with a slight smile as she turned towards her husband. "After the auction at the hospital for the pediatric wing."

"Hey, hey, hey, you two,..." Danny began as he now quickly approached. "You cannot leave me alone in there with those women and all that food." He added sternly with full hand motions.

"Come on, Chin." Steve said with an eye roll, "I think that's our cue." He added, as he attempted to usher the other men back towards the room with him, knowing that if he didn't they'd all just end up out in the main room.

"You go ahead. I'll be right there." Chin stated firmly, with a guiding hand on his wife's back.

"Chin." Steve mumbled with a stern look.

"I'll be right there." Chin managed towards Steve with a zen-like tone to his voice.

Steve gave a nod of farewell in Adam's direction before catching Chin's eye with an obvious look of warning. But Chin continued to manage his zen-like exterior as he watched his wife and colleagues head back towards the break room, leaving only Adam in the room with him.

"I guess that's my cue as well." Adam said, taking a step in the direction of the exit.

"I warned my cousin." Chin stated as he looked at Adam's back, causing the man to turn and face him again. "I warned her that she could become a 'liability'."

"I would never do anything to hurt her." Adam said in a tone that was half-insistent and half-pleading, but his assurance fell on deaf ears.

"A liability to either you,... or to the Yakuza." Chin said before walking away.

Adam stood alone in the room for a moment, letting the words sink in before finally leaving.

Steve had only been seated long enough for more food to be shoved in his direction before his phone rang with Mary Ann's name on the screen. "Hey, Mare." He greeted in as normal of a tone as he could manage. "Wait,... what?" He said before excusing himself to stand just outside the door where he could hear better. "When was this?"

After hanging up Steve tapped on the glass door, at getting Catherine's attention he motioned for her to join him.

"What's up, Steve?" She asked at seeing the unidentified look on his face.

"That was Mary." He began, indicating his phone. "She called me, because she had gotten a call from Doris."

"O-kay." Catherine drug out, indicating that she needed him to say more than just that.

"Apparently, Doris wanted to know who inherited the house after Dad died." Steve added.

"Didn't you say that both you and Mary Ann did?" Catherine questioned, not sure if she was remembering correctly.

"Yeah. Yeah, we did. Then I bought Mary's half from her because she didn't want it and didn't want to live here." Steve said to remind her of the details.

"Is Doris just now realizing that her husband died with no wife to leave the house to because she was 'dead'?" Catherine asked.

"Apparently." Was Steve's only answer, shrug included.

"O-kay." Catherine repeated, not sure why he was not more forthcoming.

"So, you were cooking at my house this morning?" He questioned and got a nod of confirmation.

"I cooked the sausage at your house, before joining the others at the Kelly's." Catherine explained. "Why, Steve? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm not completely sure." Steve admitted, "But apparently something was aid that triggered Doris into thinking about this and calling Mary for answers."

"I'm not sure, what could..." Catherine paused, her brown crinkled and a look of contemplation on her face. "Let's see,... she noticed the oil on my shirt and thought,.. .well, never mind. Then she was looking for the juicer, then we-" Catherine paused in an obvious 'light bulb moment'. "Oh my gosh, Steve. I'm so sorry. Doris was looking for the juicer and when I showed her where it was I commented off-handed that you were picky about your kitchen."

Steve heard the words, but they obviously didn't register with him.

"Steve,... I said,... 'Steve's kitchen'." Catherine reiterated.

"Ahhh," And yes, the light bulb was finally on for Steve as well, followed by his noticing Catherine's expression. "Hey, don't worry about it, Cath." He assured her. "My mother lives with me, not the other way around. It obviously just never occurred to her that the house is no longer hers."

"Yeah, I can see that. But still-"

"But nothing, Cath." He said calmly, with a hand on her shoulder. "The way I look at it, this is just one more of the consequences she has to deal with since faking her own death. She'll get over it."

"Okay." Catherine breathed a sigh of relief, not having to worry that her words had caused strife between Steve and his mother. "Now, you, Sailor Boy, back to breakfast." She added with a playful poke to his chest, causing him to groan.

They re-entered the break room just in time to hear Grace asking her father, "Can we make a plate to save for Kono, since she's not here right now?"

"Oh, absolutely, Monkey." Danny agreed, trying to hide a cringe.

"You'd better put another pancake on that plate, Grace." Chin suggested.

"That's a lot of food, Uncle Chin." Grace said at eying the plate where he added, not one, but two more pancakes.

"You've never see Kono eat, have you?" He said to tease the little girl, as well as get as much food off the table as possible.

Steve bit his lower lip at hearing Chin repeat Adam's words. "Hey, Grace." He called out form the doorway, "Why don't you bring that plate and we'll put in the refrigerator in my office." He suggested.

"Okay, Uncle Steve." The little girl quickly agreed as she slid from her seat and took the plate from Malia who had covered it with a paper towel.

With one hand Steve propped open the door, with the other he guided Grace from the break room as he looked back over his shoulder giving a nod to Danny, indicating that they could all now talk about what could not be said in front of the little girl who was now headed to his office with him.

**~~~~Hawaii Five-0~~~~**

A/N: I was re-watching 3.03 recently where Chin tells Kono that she could become a 'liability' to Adam, or to the Yakuza. She got ticked off and went to get coffee, but I wondered how it would make Adam feel to hear those words.

A/N: I got the "Steve's kitchen" idea from Doris showing up there in 3.04 to cook her son breakfast one morning, without being invited, and with her luggage.

A/N: Grace's affinity for coconut syrup is from the 3.05 episode.

A/N: 60+ cases comes from adding up the episodes so far.

A/N: As always, my continued thanks to my beta reader, PoisonedShip. Sunday's events will continue in my next posting. Please keep my muse typing by leaving a review before you go.


	11. Liability, part 2

Before you start reading part 2 of "Liability" I wanted to say 'Thank you!' to you all for reading my story. I do appreciate all of the reviews, and wish I had time to respond to them all individually. Your comments keep my muse happy & typing.

I wasn't fibbing when I said this was another Flangell re-write. The part of the original story I'm going to use just needed an opening story-line, but that 'opening' has taken on a life of it's own and turned into what you've read so far, with more chapters to come,... which also explains why it is taking me so long between postings, but I hope it's been worth the wait.

Remember Adam's Business Manager, Yoshio? Good. He's back.

Remember SWAT team leader Lieutenant Jose Diaz and his side-kick Bradley? I hope so. They're back, too.

As always, my thanks to PoisonedShip for the beta read.

**"Liability" part 2**

**Still Sunday, 11:00 am, now 64 hours missing...**

"What have we got?" Steve asked as he and Danny both exited their respective offices at seeing Chin's sudden activity at the Smart Table.

"Fong just called." Chin stated.

"Good. Please tell me he has something, because the 60+ case reports on my desk are getting me nowhere. All but 5 of those perps are still behind bars, 2 of which are accounted for and have alibis. So, unless someone is orchestrating something from the inside, we've still got nothing." Danny said.

"Well, according to Fong, we've got something now." Chin began as he flipped files from the table onto the wall monitors. "This is the ballistics report from the bullet taken from Noshimuri's arm. It comes back to a cold case."

"Armed robbery, 2007, 3 casualties, suspects never caught, sitting cold every since." Steve read aloud.

At that moment a ping was heard, Chin ran his fingers across the table, and Max's face appeared on the screen.

"Looks like all of HPD is working through the weekend." Danny surmised.

"That's because none of us are gonna stop until we get Kono back." Steve stated as he made eye contact with Chin, earning a nod in return. "What have you got for us, Max?" He asked, turning his attention back to the monitor.

"Gentlemen." Max greeted. "I have the toxicology report back from our drowning victim. She had a blood alcohol level 2x the legal limit when she died. I also managed to extract some trace from under her nails, which turned out to be varnish. I did some research and it turns out it's marine varnish, for use on boats. That got me thinking, so I did some calling around. Turns out our victim is not from O'ahu, but from Molokai, where she and several friends borrowed a catamaran several days ago and went out to party on the water. Apparently their inebriated state led them to not realize how far off course they had gotten when several of their passengers went overboard."

"Several passengers?" Danny immediately questioned. "Should we expect more bodies?"

"Unfortunately that is a possibility, Detective. None of those aboard the catamaran can seem to agree on exactly how many were present to begin with, as some had invited additional friends, while others had simply not shown up. You factor in their inebriated state, and they are not sure exactly how many were on board or how many went overboard." Max explained.

"If they got too far off course, the trade winds would have carried the current towards O'ahu." Chin said, showing his findings on the Smart Table's display.

"Great. Just great." Danny mumbled sarcastically as he threw his hands up in the air.

"I just wanted to confirm for you that this appears to have nothing to do with Officer Kalakaua's abduction." Max said, then quickly added, "But, please, do call me if I can be of further assistance."

"Hey, Max," Steve called out just before the connection ended. "What was her name?" He asked, reminding himself again that although the victim wasn't Kono she was still someone's daughter.

"Kim Li Chang." Max answered in a solemn tone before ending the connection.

As Chin took a closer look at the cold case file connected to their ballistics report, Danny went back to his office to track down the 3 remaining released convicts that Five-0 had put away, and Steve headed to his office to call and update the Governor.

"McGarrett." Steve said to answer his phone as HPD Dispatch called shortly after his call with Denning had ended. "Get all available units in the area to my house immediately." He said as he rushed from his office, putting Chin and Danny on instant alert. "Be advised that there is possibly a second civilian there, and both are possibly armed. Scratch that,... probably armed. Actually,... just,... they're armed."

"What's going on?" Chin and Danny both asked as they rushed after Steve to get to their vehicles.

"Silent alarm at my house, followed by a 9-1-1 call." Steve barked out as Danny tossed him his keys.

With lights flashing and sirens screaming, the team made their way to Steve's house. Arriving with the screech of tires, they exited their vehicles to the sound of a gun shot as they drew their own weapons. Several HPD units had arrived right behind them and Steve quickly barked out orders before heading towards the front door himself.

"Catherine?!" He called out upon entering and seeing his living room in disarray, not bothering with an attempt at a quiet entry. "Cath!"

"I've got one down in here!" Danny called out from the kitchen.

"Steve!" They all heard Catherine call out from upstairs, sending Steve racing for the steps with Chin and Danny right behind.

"You make one move and I'll put a bullet right between your eyes." They all heard Catherine command as they entered the master bedroom to see her with a gun held on the man before her.

He had the 'cat burglar' look down, dressed in head-to-toe black, ski-cap and all, and stood with both hands in the air, clearly having no where to go. Danny and Lukela both rushed over to cuff him and were rewarded with an eye roll. Yeah, interrogating this guy was gonna be fun.

Meanwhile Steve went directly to Catherine, who maintained a shooters stance and still held the raised gun, which he gently took from her hand before pulling her into his arms. She had clearly been in a fight; her disheveled hair and bloody, swollen lip a testament to that fact. Her breathing was still ragged from the adrenaline rush and recent take-down in the kitchen, and he had no doubt she would be sporting several bruises and sore knuckles later on.

"Three perps,... all in black,... fought one in the kitchen." She detailed, clearly in military mode and trying to get all the pertinent information out. "This blood is from a,... double-knee jerk,... broke his nose." She gestured to her leg without looking down.

"You did good, Cath. He's still unconscious downstairs. Did you shoot someone, too?" He asked, trying to get her to make eye contact.

Catherine slightly raised her left hand, which had a black ski mask in it. "Pulled this off one,... tried to get hair, too,... shot him in the shoulder,... he went through... the door." She said, almost mumbling into Steve's chest as she gestured to the glass door to the upper lanai. These words sent Chin out the door with several officers on his heels.

Danny took the ski mask from her as Steve guided her to sit on the bench at the foot of his bed. "I'm sorry." He said, taking in the scrapes on her cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't answer when you called."

Catherine didn't speak, just gave a nod of understanding.

"Which gun?" Steve asked, taking a closer look at the weapon now in his hand.

She silently pointed to the night stand as she rubbed her shoulder with the other hand.

"Which gun?" Danny repeated. "How many do you have?"

"Two." Steve answered, but Catherine held up 3 fingers. "Three." Steve quickly amended.

"Oh, well, that's not to bad. Three guns in your house is about what I'd expect." Danny said with a shrug.

"No, Danny. Three guns in this room." Steve corrected.

"Oh." Danny fish-mouthed as he walked to the door, hearing the paramedics entering the house, obviously headed towards the unconscious perp in the kitchen. "Remind me to never let Grace play hide-and-seek in your house." He said with a smirk. "I'm gonna go check on the perp she beat up." He added with a jerk of his thumb as he proceeded through the door.

Steve gave a nod to his partner to do just that, then turned his attention back to the woman seated next to him. "Did they say anything, Cath? Were they looking for something? Do you know why they were here?"

But she had leaned forward, elbows on her knees, one hand held her head, the other rubbed her shoulder.

"Cath?" He prodded, wondering if she just needed a moment, but he got no response.

He placed his arm across her shoulders and gave a gentle nudge, only to have her nearly fall over.

"Danny! Send those medics up here instead! Now!" Steve yelled out, which brought his partner running right back into the room.

Danny re-entered to see Steve reclining Catherine back across the foot of the bed. Her eyes were half open and she was clearly having trouble breathing. Despite her sudden weakened appearance, she had a firm grip on Steve's hand.

"Talk to me, Cath." Steve implored as he leaned over her. "Tell me what's wrong."

But the paramedics quickly pushed both men aside to get to their newly designated patient, and soon had oxygen on her as they calling out medical stats and searched for a cause to the problem.

"This is all my fault." Steve thought out loud as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Whoa, whoa. Just stop right there." Danny half-ordered and half-soothed towards his partner. "This is not your fault. Okay. Three men broke into your home while she was here. They did this. This is clearly their fault."

"I know that Danny,... it's just that,... she called me for help." Steve said, then saw the surprised look on the other man's face. "I was talking to the Governor when she tried calling me. So I let it go to voice mail, thinking I'd just call her back later." He explained, both hands now running through his hair. "Oh, God."

"Found it." They both heard one of the paramedics say at that moment. "She's got a stab would to the front of her shoulder." He said as he cut the wide strap of Catherine's black tank top and peeled it back to expose the wound.

"Had to have nicked the lung. I'm not getting good breath sounds on this side." The other paramedic said as she continued to listen to her patients lungs.

"We've gotta get her to the hospital before her lung completely collapses." The first paramedics said, looking up at Steve and Danny.

Catherine was quickly loaded onto a transport gurney and carried down the stairs. She attempted to speak just before being loaded into the ambulance.

"Ste,..." She attempted through the oxygen mask over her face.

"Shh. Don't talk now, Cath." He said softly, not wanting her to use up dwindling strength.

But Catherine ignored him, "Ste,... mo-" She attempted again, but breathing was getting harder. "Mo-"

"Commander," The female paramedic said to gain his attention, "We have to go now."

"They're gonna take good care of you, Cath." Steve soothed as he again leaned over her and fiddled with her hair. "I'll follow real soon. Okay." He assured her, and got a silent nod in return, then watched as the ambulance drove away.

"How's she doing?" Chin inquired as he approched from behind.

"A knife wound to the front of her shoulder nicked the top of her lung, which is now partially collapsed and making it hard for her to breathe." Steve answered in a monotone voice without even moving even though the ambulance was long gone from sight.

Chin silently held up the evidence bag with a steak knife from the kitchen in it, which finally got Steve to turn and look. "If it's any consolation, it looks like she used one on him, too."

It wasn't.

**Forty minutes later...**

Charlie Fong approached the guys outside on the front lawn. "I've collected blood samples from the kitchen, where Lieutenant Rollins beat the crap out of perp #1." He said in surprisingly blunt honesty, setting down his evidence collection kit . "I also collected samples from a blood trail across the upper lanai, from her shooting perp #2, and can confirm that she did indeed get quite a few hairs when she pulled off his mask." He added, pulling off his medical gloves.

"At least she got to a gun before she had to do anything more than hold off perp #3." Chin said.

"Let us know as soon as you get any matches." Steve requested of Charlie, who nodded before picking up his evidence collection kit.

"I also found traces of a white powder that appears to have been on the shoes of all three perps, but I won't know what it is until I get it back to the lab." Charlie said.

"Thanks for coming in, Charlie." Danny said as the man walked away. They all knew that everyone there was doing everything they could to help find Kono.

"Before Catherine was taken to the hospital, she was trying to tell me something." Steve informed Chin and Danny. "But all she got out was, 'Mo'. She just couldn't talk any more than that."

"She'll be okay, Steve." Danny assured his partner and best friend with an encouraging hand to the shoulder. "You can ask her more when you see her."

"Could she have been trying to say something about your mom?" Chin asked.

Steve shrugged, "I don't know."

"That's right,...This could have absolutely nothing to do with Kono's abduction, and everything to do with Doris and her CIA history." Danny chimed in.

"Or this has everything to do with Kono's abduction, and she was just the first." Chin spoke his theory for pondering. "Which means you were just next on the list." He added, looking at Steve.

"Damn. We have too many questions and not any answers." Steve said in frustration, voicing the key aspect that bothered all three men the most.

"Well, maybe she can help." Danny said, referring to Doris, who was approaching on the sidewalk.

"Where have you been?" Steve questioned when she got closer.

Doris gestured back over her shoulder, "The police cars are all over the place, so I had to park down the block. What happened here?"

Chin and Danny looked at each other before looking at Steve, who was clearly the one designated to answer the woman's question. "Three men broke into the house. Catherine was hurt."

"Oh my God." Doris breathed out as she took a step closer. "Is she okay?"

"No, Doris. She's not." Steve answered sternly as he crossed his arms over his chest, clearly in a frustrated mood. "Where were you?"

"I was out apartment shopping." She answered. "Where is she now?"

He hesitated before answering, not liking the mental images it evoked. "Paramedics took her to the hospital with a collapsed lung."

"Does this have anything to do with Kono's abduction? Are you three in danger, too?" She asked.

"We don't know that yet,... and since we aren't certain, we also have to wonder if what happened here has to do with you." He said.

Doris looked at her son in surprise. "With me? Because of my work with the CIA?"

All three men nodded in confirmation at her question.

**Meanwhile...**

With blood slicked fingers, Kono pulled on the sharp shards, desperate to extract them from her skin. Their sharp edges making for a viscous cycle.

Between the dizziness and the sweat dripping into her eyes, it made the smallest of them hard to even see.

But she had several hours to accomplish this before they would return. And return they would.

A/N: I remembered in 3.11 when Catherine was in a fight protecting the boy and his father, but afterwards she looked just fine. I need a little more realism than that. Hence the messed up hair and bloody lip.


	12. Liability, part 3

**"Liability" part 3**

Remember Adam's Business Manager, Yoshio? Good. He's back.

Remember SWAT team leader Lieutenant Jose Diaz and his side-kick Bradley from some of my other stories? Good. They're back, too.

Since you've so patiently waited for me to post chapters (or perhaps not so patiently) I'm going to give you a larger-than-usual peek at what's going on with Kono as we continue with what's happening on Sunday.

As always, my thanks to PoisonedShip for the beta read.  
And lilAzIaNpride24 will be doing the Korean-to-English translations.

**"Liability", part 3**  
**About 1:00pm - now 66 hours missing...**

An hour later, Steve is at the hospital with Catherine and checking on the perp she beat the crap out of. While Chin and Danny are back at HQ, tracking down the remaining 3 ex-cons while awaiting news from Fong.

Catherine could feel the pain in her shoulder before she could hear her surroundings, and she could hear her surroundings before she could see them. That's the way anesthesia worked, and she eventually managed to opened heavy lids to confirm that she was indeed in a hospital. Despite whatever pain meds she had been given, her bandaged shoulder hurt. Her arm was wrapped securely across her middle to keep it stationary, the nasal cannula under her nose was irritating, and her head hurt, because yeah, anesthesia had that effect, too. But despite all that, what had her concerned was the man asleep in the chair beside her bed, with his body hunched forward so his head was resting on the mattress next to her hip.

Catherine used her free hand to gently touch his hair, taking in the worn look on his face as sleep had evaded him now for days. Or perhaps it was him that had evaded the sleep. Although this was good, this little nap he had succumbed to was far from the many hours of genuine deep rest that he really needed. She looked up at seeing a nurse step into view at her partially opened door and quickly put a finger to her lips to shush her, lest she awaken the exhausted man. The nurse's nod was accompanied by a slight smile at the sight before her as she quietly walking away and Catherine fell back asleep.

Almost two hours later dark blue eyes slowly fluttered open and Steve awoke to find Catherine's hand on top of his head. Slightly perplexed at the scenario for a moment he gently extracted himself and checked the time. He would need to check on perp #2 - who he hoped was in pain - and get back for #3's interrogation soon.

As her senses repeated their earlier process, Catherine let out a groan of pain.

_'Okay, make that #2 being in lots and lots of pain.'_ Steve thought as he stretched his back and rose from his chair to lean over her. "Cath." He prodded as he watched lashes begin to move.

"Ste-" She mumbled in her attempts to wake up.

"Yeah, Cath. I'm right here." He assured her as brown eyes slowly opened and sought him out.

**Meanwhile...**

"Lieutenant Kelly." Chin said as he answered his phone without looking at the Caller I.D.

"Hey, Chin. It's Charlie." The lab technician identified himself.

"What do you have for us, Charlie?" Chin asked as he headed for the Smart Table to be able to look at the lab report as Fong described his findings.

"Pollen." He answered.

"Pollen?" Chin repeated as he placed his phone on the table so he would have both hands free to work and so Danny could hear as well.

"Myrtaceae pollen, to be exact." Fong said.

"Oh. That's not good." Chin stated.

"Not good at all." Fong agreed.

"What's the big deal about pollen from this Myr-tal-ca" Danny attempted.

"Mytralceae." Chin enunciated for him. "And it's a restricted import here in Hawaii."

"Which means there should be only a few sources to check out?" Danny asked hopefully.

"More likely it'll mean that whoever is importing it, will keep it well hidden." Chin corrected. "And, they are more than likely importing other illegal things as well." He added.

"Well, fortunately, we know someone who owns a shipping company." Danny suggested. "So, while we wait for Steve to get back, I'll go talk to Adam."

**Back at the hospital...**

Perp #2, who still refused to give his name, was none too happy at what the lady with the knife had done to his arm. More precisely; the ink work on his arm.

"That's gonna leave an ugly scar." Steve stated from the doorway, causing #2 to look up at him. "Your 'sleeve' is never gonna be the same."

"That bit-"

"Lieutenant." Steve sternly corrected, cutting off the other man's words.

"Huh?"

"The woman you attacked is a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. Which means that I can get NCIS involved in this if I want." Steve explained, now standing at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest. "So, it would be in your own best interest if you cooperated."

**At Adam Noshimuri's office...**

"Mr. Noshimuri, there is a Detective Williams here to see you."

"Send him in, please." Adam responded.

Danny entered to find Adam seated behind his desk, and he paused a moment to take in the contradictory scene before him. The office was quite large, and in the far corner were two loveseats perpendicular to each other to make a seating area. Two comfortable chairs were in front of the heavy mahogany desk, and of course the standard black leather executive chair behind it. Throw in an abundance of potted plants and art work, and you've pretty much got what one would expect the office of the CEO of a multi-million dollar enterprise to occupy. But it was said CEO that seemed to contradict the space around him. There, behind his desk, sat Adam; unshaven, and clad in blue jeans, a tee-shirt, and slippers.

"Anything?" Returned Adam's all to familiar request for news as he rose from his seat.

But for the first time his request was not met with silence and a sad expression.

"Maybe." Came Danny's cautious answer.

But it was enough to spark some hope,... and it was clear that Adam was waiting for more as he gestured for Danny to take a seat in one of the chairs as he relocated from behind his desk to take the other.

"I need to ask you about your shipping company." Danny said, then proceeded to explain about the Myrtaceae pollen and their theory of importing the plants and possibly other illegal things as well.

"So, the executive in charge of my shipping company is the hold-out I suspected." Adam said to confirm his own suspicions.

"Maybe." Conceded Danny. "Or just someone within the shipping company." He clarified.

Adam leaned forward to push a button on the corner of his desk phone. "Get me Yoshio." He instructed.

Yoshio's office must be nearby, as the man was walking through his boss' door less than thirty seconds later.

"Hello, Detective Williams." Yoshio greeted politely in well enunciated English and with a slight bow before turning to his boss, obviously awaiting instructions for why he had been summoned.

Normally Adam would have conversed with Yoshio in Japanese. But not only would that have been rude to do in front of Danny, he needed to make sure he was conveying the scenario accurately. He got his confirmation on that when he heard Danny ask for the records he needed. Yoshio got a nod from Adam to do as the Detective had asked and soon left the room.

"So, what drug you into work today?" Danny asked to make conversation while they awaited Yoshio's return with the employee records on one Richard Thurner.

"A deadline." Adam replied with a heavy sigh.

"Construction bid? Union contract? Grand opening of another hotel?" Danny guessed in succession.

Adam smirked, "Okay, let me re-phrase that,... a due date." He clarified.

"A due date?" Danny asked with a furrowed brow. "Like in a baby's due date?"

Adam confirmed with a nod. "I need to get a contract finalized so a group of construction workers can go from one project to the next, without too big of a gap in between, or it could effect their insurance coverage. The chief electrician and his wife are expecting a baby girl next month. I don't want to seem them be without insurance, especially if she were to arrive early, just because I've disappeared from my own office."

"Ah." Danny mumbled in understanding, as he knew exactly how expensive having a baby could be. He reached for a framed photo on the desk, both to continue conversation and because such details said a lot about a man. "May I?" He requested and got a nod of approval. Danny laughed as soon as he turned it around and saw the picture. "When was this taken?"

"That was the first time Kono got me to disappear from my own office." Adam admitted.

"She does have quite the dimples." Danny commented, as Kono filled most of the 5x7 image.

"She was laughing so hard when that was taken. Apparently my wiping out on a surf board is quite entertaining." Adam admitted.

"You're a surfer, too?" Danny asked.

"No one's a surfer compared to Kono." Adam stated with a shrug.

"True." Danny immediately agreed.

"But I did grow up here, and surfing was a big part of that."

"What happened to change that?" Danny seemed to be on a roll with his questions.

"Life, I guess. When I went away to law school in New York, everything changed." Adam mused aloud. "Then afterward I stayed there, and as I'm sure you know, there's not a lot of surfing that far north. I guess that excuse factored in well with my workaholic tendencies."

"So what got you back on a board?"

"Kono." Was Adam's simple answer. "She didn't wanna believe me when I admitted that I hadn't been surfing since coming back here. That was just unacceptable to her, so the next thing I knew I was in board shorts and we were loading up surf boards. She has quite the collection of them. She can also be quite persuasive."

"What's in the other one?" Danny asked as he place the framed photo back on the desk and gestured to the larger one on the other corner.

"I just got it, so, nothing yet." Adam said, turning the frame to show the still-black screen. "Decided on a larger frame because Kono said I couldn't have poster-size, and went with digital so I didn't have to pick just one picture." He explained as he picked up his laptop. "These are the ones I've picked out so far."

"That's the one from the front page of the newspaper the other day." Danny said as Adam showed him the first of his selections. "She sure did make us proud."

"Now you tell me, Detective,... would that not look good in poster-size on that wall right there?" Adam asked, indicating the far wall above one the sitting area.

"I, personally, would say 'yes'." Danny answered, with full hand motions. "But according to my ex-wife, I have absolutely no taste in decorating and should decline to answer based solely on the fact that I have Y chromosomes."

"Fair enough." Adam said, flipping to the next picture. "This one was taken at a dinner party we went to at Shoken."

Danny's brows shot up. "Shoken, huh? That place has got like a 2 week waiting list just to get on the waiting list."

Adam couldn't help but smile at the memory of the wonderful evening. "One of my former employees and his wife own it. They had a private party to celebrate and sample the menu, and I was told to bring a plus one. Kono got a new dress for the evening, and I was so glad Five-0 didn't catch a case and spoil our plans."

"What else?"

"And this one,... was when I returned from a trip to Japan, to find that Kono and Lili had been in cahoots with each other to decorate my house for Christmas."

Danny took Adam's moment of pause to ask, "So, what's the big deal about putting up some lights?"

"Nothing. In most homes." He answered with a shrug. "My mother loved Christmas and would spend days decorating the house from top to bottom. Then spent weeks shopping and piling presents under a huge tree for us boys. But,... my mother left Hawaii 10 years ago, and hasn't been back since. After she left, and Michael was sent to prison, Father refused to let any decorations go up. They reminded him too much of her, of them both." Adam explained as he absent-mindedly ran his finger across the image of he and Kono in front of the huge tree with white lights and red bows.

The sadness that ghosted Adam's face was not lost on Danny as he pressed on with his next question. "May I ask why your mother left Hawaii?"

"The Yakuza." Adam breathed a heavy sigh before continuing. "She loved my father, but she hated the Yakuza. It was bad enough in Japan, but then my father moved our family here after my Grandfather died, so he could take his place. They remained married, but knowing he had moved our family here just because of them, and then Michael,... she eventually refused to stay any longer and went back to Korea where she is originally from."

"So, after all these years you have a tree again." Danny stated rather matter-of-factly, looking at the photo again.

Adam nodded, glad to have the topic back on track. "Yeah. Kono made the observation that my house wasn't decorated, but to be honest, I hadn't even noticed. I guess I was just used to it being that way. Besides, the decorations were somewhere in the attic, I think, and I was leaving on a business trip, so why bother. But apparently they thought it was worth the bother, because when I got home just 2 days before Christmas, I walked in to find the lights out and the tree lit up."

Danny smiled at the idea of Kono doing something like that. "That sounds like something Kono would do." He voiced his thoughts.

"Yeah, it does." Adam agreed. "The whole house was decorated in silver and red. It was great. She and Lili did a really nice job. But, honestly, the one thing that really got my attention was that there was one gift under the tree." He admitted, and at seeing the expression on Danny's face decided to answer his question before it was asked. "What would have been my father's 60th birthday had just passed and I had shown Kono two of my favorite pictures of me with him from when I was a little kid. One was of us on the beach and the other of him by me as I rode a carousel horse. So, while I was gone, she scanned them, did some PhotoShop magic, and added the words; 'The ones we love never really leave us, when memories are forever'." Adam explained as he scrolled through he pictures on his laptop. "Here it is."

"That's a hard gift to match." Danny stated.

"True. But I think I did okay." Adam said as he searched for another photo.

A minute later Danny was looking at the image of Kono and Adam as they were standing on the upper lanai just off a private dining room at one of his upscale restaurants. The small white lights and red ribbon wrapped around the railing behind them and the poinsettias near their feet told that it had been taken not too long after Christmas. Adam wore a charcoal grey Armani suit and had his arm wrapped around her from behind. Kono wore a burgundy wrap dress and leaned into the embrace, a closer look showing something in her hand.

"What's in the envelope?"

Yoshio entered at that moment. "I believe this is everything you need, Detective." He said, handing Danny a flash drive.

**Five-0 HQ, 3:51pm...**

A mixture of emotions ran through all three men as they walked into HQ.

Perp #3 had also refused to give his name. Not that that did any suspect any good when their prints were in the system. He was just a thug to begin with, hired more for his muscle than his brains. Add to that, that he'd pissed them off - really, really pissed them off - and he was soon singing like a bird. Correction; a strangled parrot in the grasp of a SEAL. He had been the first one Catherine had detected at the McGarrett house. The slight squeak on the front deck all the alert she needed to realize that someone was watching her through the large front window. #3 not even aware that he'd given his presence away.

That's when she'd tried calling Steve while casually making her way to the back door that led to the lanai. She got as far as the kitchen to find perp #2 - who still refused to give his name, which did him no good because he is also in the system - trying to sneak in. Apparently #2 was the talkative type; demanding $5 million in cash as he called her names. Catherine did not feel bad at altering the art work on his skin after hearing his colorful opinion of women and lack of decent vocabulary skills.

Chin's eliminating the final 3 ex-cons off their suspect list, Danny's trip to Adam's office, and Steve's visit to the hospital, then the 3-against-1 interrogation in the blue room had been quite fruitful, at least as far as information went. Perhaps a 'mix of emotions' was an understatement at this point. While they were encouraged with new leads to follow, they simultaneously felt continued frustration as they were technically no closer to finding Kono.

There was one consolation though. With the knowledge that the break-in at Steve's house was about the money, they also knew the team wasn't being taken down one by one. This meant a continued focus on finding Kono, instead of wasted time looking over their shoulders.

And now there was a link alert waiting for them on the Smart Table as they entered.

"Ya know, Steven, sometimes I really am grateful for your lack of mammal-to-mammal skills." Danny said as they entered.

"I told you ahead of time that the Governor had given us Full Means & Immunity on this one." Steve reminded his partner. "Besides, I was in the mood to shoot someone,... and it worked." He added with a shrug.

Chin ignored their antics as he began typing. "What have you got for us, Charlie?" He asked as the now opened link showed the lab technician close by.

Charlie turned to the camera and held up a vial that showed a blue substance in the bottom of it. "Cocaine." He answered.

Danny was the first to voice a new frustration over this news. "Oh great." He said, throwing arms up in the air and stepping away from the table, only to spin around and return to lean on it again. "Just,... great."

"It was mixed in with some of the pollen samples I collected." Charlie explained.

"Which means we just found one more thing that they are illegally importing." Chin stated.

"And because it brings a whole lot more profit than flowers do, that means they are going to both hide it and defend it more aggressively." Steve added.

After the connection was closed, it was time for the three to focused on the new information they had.

"Okay," Began Danny, because he was usually the one to re-cap things that way. "First there was a failed attempt at the $5 million at Adam Noshimuri's home, which got us Underling and Thug. Then a second failed attempt at the $5 million at Steve's house - because 'mo' was an attempt at 'money' not 'mom' - which got us 3 perps; one in the hospital, one in lock-up that probably should be in the hospital, and one on the run. Seriously, do these thugs really think we'd keep that kind of money anywhere but in a vault?" He paused and gestured across the room, "Or in this cause, a gun cage. Add some illegal flowers and cocaine to this bazaar scenario, along with the name of the shipping company and it's Executive, and... what have we got?" His words and hand motions both suspended, leaving an opening for the other guys to chime in.

"Yeah, what have you got?" Asked the booming voice of SWAT team leader, Lieutenant Jose Diaz, before either Chin or Steve had opportunity to use the opening Danny had left them. His side-kick Bradley right behind him as they entered through the glass doors. "We stopped by to see if we could be of service in helping get Officer Kalakaua back, and it sounds like we got here just in time for a raid." He added almost giddy at the very idea of a raid, rubbing his hands together as if ready to gear up right then and there.

Introductions were made even though the faces were all familiar, then Chin excused himself to take a call while Steve and Danny filled in the SWAT leader.

"That was a call HPD patched through from Dr. Choa." Chin announced as he pocketed his cell phone.

"That was the doctor at Noshimuri's house. Right?" Steve asked, getting a nod of confirmation from both Chin and Danny.

"Seems that he just got back from a house call. Or, in this case, a ware-house call." He said.

"Please tell me we just found perp #1." Danny pleaded.

Chin's nod was accompanied by a slight smile. Things were finally looking up.

**Meanwhile...**

_She gave a thoughtful nod of understanding before asking, "그리고 그 시나리오의 __'노골적 명백한__'부분은 뭐야__?" ("And what's the 'blatantly obvious' part of those scenarios?")_

_"이 __... 매일 밤 __... 사랑 해줄 사람__, 집에 갈 사람이 자신의 삶 속에서 특별한 사람을 가질 정도로 운이 __...하지만 그 사람들이처럼 행동 그게 번거 로움이고 그들은 숙박에 대한 자세한 걱정 문제 아웃__. " ("That they are lucky enough to have someone special in their lives,... someone to go home to every night,... someone to love,... but they act like it's a hassle and they're more worried about staying out of trouble.") He said as he looked into her eyes, "내 말은__, 사람은 운이 좋으면__, 그는 특별한 날 __- 모든 기회__, -는 그 여자에게 얼마나 많은 데 을 찾아 진정__" ("I mean, if a man is that lucky, he should look forward to a special day – to any opportunity, really - to tell that woman how much she means to him.")_

_"음__, 분명히 모든 남자들은 멍청이 아니다__" ("Well, apparently not all of you men are idiots.") She says thoughtfully._

_"I hope not." He says, while using his free hand to push a small white box with a red bow across the table to her._

_"이거 모야__?" ("What's this?") She asked in surprise as she looked back up at him._

_"이거는__," ("This,") Adam said, referring to the gift, but not taking his eyes off her, "나 당신이 나에게 얼마나 특별한 사람에게 얘기한은거야__. 내 인생에 인는거 정말 고맙다고 한은거야__." ("Is me telling you how special you are to me. That I am grateful to have you in my life.")_

Kono was pulled from her daydream at the sound of birds. She had heard them there before, just outside the large boarded up window across the room from her. The scratching noises from what sounded like their small talons had her guessing that they were nesting in an awning just beyond her view.

She sighed heavily, realizing the frustration she was feeling at the simplest things, like not being able to see birds. Or the ocean. Oh how she missed the ocean and longed to ride a wave.

She shifted position, again. Or at least attempted to, again. After adjusting the strips of fabric in her hands, she resumed her task, despite the pain it caused her. The daydreams a break from the boredom and a minor distraction form the pain.

_Adam's words were rewarded with dimples on either side of her smile as she pulled at the red ribbon, releasing it from the small white box. The lid lifted to show a hair clip, made with small glass beads of blues and greens._

_He rose from his seat before she could find the words to speak, and came to her side with an outstretched hand. Taking his offered hand, she stood with him as he wrapped an arm around her slender waist._

_She wasn't sure where the music came from, but suspected that Lili was responsible for it. They moved slowly as they danced by the light of the tiki torches, her cheek resting against him as he pulled her closer and said, "가끔식 바보가 될 수 있지만__, 난 바보가 아니야__." ("I may be an idiot sometimes, but I'm no fool.")_

** HAWAII FIVE-0 **

The next chapter will wrap up what happens on Sunday.  
My thanks again to PoisonedShip and lilAzIaNpride24.


	13. Liability, part 4

** HAWAII FIVE-0 **

A/N: Wanna say 'thank you' for the reviews. And to those who are signed-in as Guests, even though I cannot reply to your reviews, they are appreciated.

A/N: My returning characters for this chapter are...Vice Agent Jasmine Miena (my-ee-nah) and HPD Detective Caroline Walton from my story "The Boots" and HPD Detectives Susan Gerber and Kate Panner from my story "Dog House".

A/N: I've gotta say that I didn't like Adam's character at first, and thought that Kono should have dumped him - after she kicked his ass, of course - for his little stunt with the duct tape. I've really surprised myself with this story, and my own interest in Kono/Adam. So I was thinking about all that, and maybe it's because yesterday was Easter Sunday, but I'm a big believer in forgiveness and letting people make changes in their lives. After all, without Good Friday and Easter, we would all be in deep trouble. If God can forgive me, then the least I can do is extend an olive branch to Adam in my story.

My thanks, as always, to PoisonedShip for the beta read.

**"Liability", part 4**

**Five-0 HQ, 4:22pm - 69 hours missing...**

Five-0 Headquarters was crowded. With Steve, Danny, and Chin, plus Lieutenant Jose Diaz, his side-kick Bradley and the rest of the SWAT team, and Sargent Lukela with three two-man units from HPD. The gathering around the Smart Table was elbow-to-elbow and 2 rows deep, literally.

But the planning had been done; a map of the N.G. Shipping & Receiving Warehouse up on the large wall monitor for easy viewing, as Steve and Diaz gave out instructions for the op. It would be dark in just over two hours, providing better cover for their entry into the warehouse down by the shipping yard. Points of entry had been assigned, lines of site discussed, thermal imaging reviewed, every tactical advantage they could get had been sought.

They would do this right.  
They would have no casualties.  
And they would get Kono back.

Kamekona entered shortly after their planning session had wrapped-up, bags of various shrimp foods in his hands, making the guys assume that their feminine better halves had sent the big guy in hopes that they would eat.

Steve avoided eating, and hurting the big man's feelings, by directing him towards the more receptive SWAT and HPD members, before leaving with Danny and Chin as they had to go meet with the Governor before the raid.

Governor Denning was insisting on a press conference about Officer Kalakaua's abduction. The guys disagreed with this idea - based primarily on how it would effect Kono's family and the case - and were hoping to talk him out of it. The last thing they needed right now was the media hounding them for a comment, and they sure didn't want Kono's parents to have to deal with it.

**7:09pm (now 72 hours missing), at the harbor...**

Steve shoved the ammo clip into his gun with a little, or maybe a lot, more force than was necessary. Needless to say, their meeting with Governor Denning had not gone their way, and he was now ready to shoot someone. Or maybe blow something up. Or both.

With Five-0, SWAT, and HPD all in full tactical gear and armed to the hilt, they were ready for the raid, ready to find Richard Thurner, and ready to end the import of cocaine to their beautiful island,... pretty little flowers and all.

The black of their kevlar blended into the darkness that night provided. All teams slowly made their way to their assigned entry points, communication via hand signals to maintained their silent invasion.

At the sound of two clicks in their ear pieces, they breached all entry points simultaneously with flash grenades and shouts of "Five-0!"

Both sides of the main room towered with pallets of case goods for shipping, leaving the long center of the room filled with tables piled high with white bundles the occupants felt obligated to defend. The firefight didn't last long, though, as the baddies were obviously surrounded and with no hope of escape.

Danny as sure Steve was at least slightly disappointed at not having an excuse to blow something up. No, his partner would just have to be happy with being the one to chase down and tackle one Jun Suzuki, the man who had shot Adam Noshimuri.

"I want this one under heavy guard, Duke." Chin said as he tightened the cuffs on Suzuki, while Steve made sure the perp didn't move until he was told. "We've got him on an Attempted Murder charge, at the very least, plus whatever charges the Feds want to add."

"You got it." Sargent Lukela said before two HPD officers each grabbed an elbow, hauled Suzuki to his feet, and escorted him to a SWAT van for transport. Suzuki wasn't going anywhere, except behind bars, Duke would make sure of it.

"Mr. Thurner, you seem to have quite a side business going for yourself." Steve stated as he stepped in front of the man who was cuffed and guarded near the tables. He returned his gun to his thigh holster, then picked up one of the bundles in one hand, and took out his KA-Bar knife with the other. "And something tells me,... this isn't pollen." He added as he split the bundle open.

Bradley held out a test kit, and Steve let some of the white powder slide off his knife into it, then they all watched unsurprised as the liquid inside turned blue.

"Judging by the quantity here," Danny said, gesturing to the large quantity of bundles on the tables on either side of them. "Your piggy bank must be quite full. What's wrong? Mr. Noshimuri not paying you enough to do honest work?"

"I pay him plenty!" Came the seething voice of Adam Noshimuri as he stormed forward, causing heads to turn in his direction. "How dare you disobey my orders!" He added, stopping close enough to Thurner to poke him in the chest as he spoke. "What's wrong; the quarter-mil I paid you last year not enough to keep that obnoxious brat of yours in a private school?"

"Quarter-mil?" Danny muttered as took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. "Wow. I am clearly in the wrong line of work." He said, looking at Steve, who just rolled his eyes.

"And whatever charges Five-0 and the Feds have on you," Adam continued talking to Thurner, as he ignored Danny's comment, "I can assure you, I will come up with more."

"You can't do that!" Thurner refuted with a scowl, as Chin approached with an even worse scowl on his face.

Adam took half a step closer to get into the man's face, "Wanna bet. You're forgetting that I'm a lawyer, specializing in corporate law. Not only can I find several charges to add to the list, but I will gladly offer my legal services to the District Attorney's Office for your prosecution."

Thurner's face was red with anger as he attempted unsuccessfully to advance on Adam. "You'd be right here counting the money with me, if you weren't in bed with a cop! That bit-"

'Oof!' Was the only sound heard as Adam's fist sunk into Thurner's gut, causing his knees to buckle. His body would have hit the ground if not for the two SWAT men on either side of him holding him secure.

"Assault." Thurner eventually managed to squeak out. "I want him charged with assault." He repeated a little stronger as he managed to stand upright again.

"Assault?" Chin asked, feigning ignorance. "I didn't see anything. You two?" He asked towards Steve and Danny.

Both men were surprised, considering they knew how much Chin disliked Adam, and gave a curious sideways glance at each other before they silently shook their heads in the negative. They just assumed Chin was more offended by Thurner's choice of words about his cousin, than caring about Adam defending her.

"I wouldn't worry too much about him needing a longer list of charges. He's not gonna ever see the light of day again after what we just found." Chin added.

"What's up, Chin?" Steve asked.

"You're not gonna believe this,... and you're definitely not going to like this." Chin said before turning to Adam. "Does the building next door belong to you, too?" He asked, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder in the general direction behind him.

To everyone's surprise, Adam looked unsure of how to answer. "I'm not sure." He answered honestly.

"Bastard's so rich he doesn't even know how many buildings he owns." Thurner smirked.

"Shut up." Danny ordered, then gestured for Chin to continue.

"There's a cat-walk up there," Chin began, switching his gesturing to the general open space above them. "That connects to the building next door. And it appears that Mr. Thurner is into distributing more than just cocaine."

"What are we talking?" Steve sought to get more information, but not liking where this was headed.

"Pornography,... at the very least. And possibly human trafficking and/or sex slaves." Chin explained with an obvious look of disgust.

'Oof!' They all heard again, and turned heads to see Adam retracting his fist from Thurner's gut, again.

"You disgusting pervert!" Adam shouted at the smug man.

"Easy, Adam." Danny advised, as he guided him back a few steps.

"Yeah." Steve confirmed as he stepped forward and into Thurner's personal space. "Save some for the rest of us." He said making eye contact with the 'disgusting pervert' with what Danny would call his 'Super SEAL Death Stare' face.

An hour later, Charlie Fong had confirmed dozens of samples from the bundles on the tables to all be cocaine, as well as traces of Myrtaceae pollen on several pallets around the warehouse.

The gun from the 2007 cold case, that also been used to shoot Adam Noshimuri, had been found in an office safe, but had been wiped of prints. Although they had Agent Thomas as an eye witness along with his photographs as evidence.

"We've got every female law enforcement officer we've got here, Commander." Sargent Lukeka said, "The women in that other building," Duke paused, disgusted with what he was about to say. "Well, they've only searched through the first of many rooms, and some of the women are chained up, even blindfolded. It's just,... " He paused again, searching for the most acceptable words to use.

"Disturbing and disgusting." Vice Agent Jasmine Miena suggested as she approached.

"Yeah." Duke agreed as he shook his head sadly and walked away.

"Gentlemen," Miena greeted with an outstretched hand. "I've brought Walton, Gerber, and Panner, with me." She said, gesturing over her shoulder to the Detectives walking behind her. "They were on loan to Vice, but you need them more. Unfortunately."

"That we do." Steve agreed as he shook her hand. They were grateful to have more female law enforcement to help search the rooms for women that were there against their will, or female perps disguised as such.

Danny then stood shoulder-to-shoulder next to Steve as both men watched Miena and the female Detectives walk towards the second building where no men were currently allowed. "If they find Kono in one of those rooms, I'm gonna throw up." He said with a heavy sigh.

"If they find Kono in one of those rooms, I'm gonna shoot someone." Steve paused, still unmoving. "Then I'm gonna throw up." He added before quickly turning to head for the Camaro. They had perps to interrogate.

**MEANWHILE...**

Kono hurt. Every part of her just hurt.

From the neck muscle that still occasionally spasmed from where she had been tazered, to the general neck pain from the half-sitting half-lying position she was stuck in that was equally unfair to her back.

The strips of fabric her pants had sacrificed themselves to become had not kept the red marks the shackles had made on her wrists and ankles from proceeding into blisters. But having the weight of your limbs only sparsely protected from the unforgiving metal would do that.

The steady but one-sided headache messed with her vision, almost as much as the sweat in her eyes did, and seemed to be making the general dizziness even worse.

They'd come for her again this morning. Leading her briefly out of the large, dark room, with it's dusty smell and 512-count ceiling tiles. She'd asked a question as they walked, him always a safe distance behind her. It wasn't a hard question, but between her current still-shackled predicament and the less than sunny disposition of her captor, that proved to have been an unwise idea... and her throat was still sore to prove it. Damn.

Her brief and limited view outside her usual confines this morning also yielded the multiple sharp shards that had cut into her flesh. Thus the cuts to her finger tips from her attempts at removing them.

And now,... now the strips of fabric did little to protect the palms of her blistered hands. But knowing that was her own fault did not stop her from her pursuit as she pondered her list.

Yes, she had a new list now. One she wasn't happy with, either.

First she was gonna need that chiropractor. Then some aspirin. Lots and lots of aspirin. Scratch that. Maybe a morphine drip. Yeah, that was better. That would mean she was on a mattress - although not a great one, it would be much better than the hard wood floor she currently resided on - in an air conditioned hospital. With her Ohana visiting her. And Adam.


	14. 2 out of 3

**"Two Out Of Three"**

A/N: Vice Agent Jasmine Miena and HPD Detective Kate Panner are back in this chapter.

A/N: Have noticed the reviews are tapering off, I hope you're not losing interest in this story. I can only tell you that even though Kono will be found before Monday is over, this story is far from over.

A/N: My thanks, as always, to PoisonedShip for the beta read.

**Monday, 12:58am - 78 hours missing**

They had achieved two out of their three goals.

They'd done it right; the op was technically a success and all tactical advantages had paid off. It turned out that their primary goal had become the added bonus after taking hundreds of kilos of cocaine off the streets, and effectively out of the veins of those held in it's grasp. Plus they had found the man who had shot Adam Noshimuri and the gun involved in a cold case. But the biggest win, by far, was discovering and shutting down the adjoining warehouse. Some of the women were there by choice, but most had been brought in illegally, having been promised a better life, only to be turned into a sex slave.

There had been no casualties; well, if you counted the law enforcement side that is, because the other side just didn't count.

But their third goal; getting Kono back, still eluded them.

"Don't worry, partner, maybe you'll get to blow something up next time." Danny said from between Steve and Chin as they all exited HQ and stood in the dark night. The three men pausing a moment to breathe deep and hope to somehow feel cleansed from the dirtiness they had both heard about and seen for themselves in the preceding hours.

They had all been in an unspoken rush to finish interrogating Jun Suzuki and Richard Thurner, ready to wrap up what they all considered a side-case, some branch that had grown off of their primary case. Of course it still disgusted them to think of Kono as a 'case'. But they had to remain focused and the sooner they found her the sooner they would no longer be thinking about 'the case' at all.

"It's quite therapeutic. You should try it some time." Steve answered from his left as he looked up to the night time stars and wondered if Kono could see them from wherever she was.

"So is yoga,... or so I hear." Danny managed to say with a straight face. "Maybe Catherine could teach you."

Steve managed to keep from cringing at the very though, but did give his partner a sideways glare.

"Ooh. That's harsh, brah." They both heard Chin say.

**Meanwhile...**

_"I warned my cousin. I warned her that she could become a liability. A liability to either you,... or to the Yakuza."_

Chin's words rang over and over in Adam's head as he rolled back the other direction and punched his pillow again. Sleep would elude him yet another night, but until Kono was found safe, he couldn't bring himself to care about such a trivial thing.

As his mind drifted back to Chin's words, he ran a hand over the empty side of the bed and wondered if he would ever be able to wake up with her next to him again. Although he wanted that, more than anything, it wouldn't be possible,... not if the Yakuza had taken her.

**3:58 Monday morning...**

Malia Waincroft-Kelly rolled over to find her husband staring up at the ceiling above their bed. She raised her head enough to see the clock on the far bedside table, "Chin, it's almost four a.m., what are you doing awake."

"I'm not tired." Was his reply.

"True; you're not tired. You're exhausted." She clarified with a stern look.

"Why didn't she tell me?" He asked, though mostly thinking out loud.

She didn't have to ask what he was talking about, she already knew. His cousin's not telling him about her drowning had been bugging him for two days now. "She didn't want to worry you, Chin." She said soothingly as she slid close enough to lay her head on his shoulder and drape her arm across his chest.

He sighed heavily and held her arm close to himself, as if for security. "I know." Was all he could say, grateful that his wife had lived through the horrible ordeal of being shot by Delano's goon and was there to comfort him now.

**Meanwhile...**

Steve's Silverado and Danny's Camaro both came to a sudden stop at the crime scene at the same time, although coming from opposite directions.

"We just got the call, Duke." Steve said as they rushed up to the Sargent at the South end of the alley with matching looks of dread on their faces, referring to the report of an assault an Asian woman.

Lukela held up a hand in a placating gesture, "It's not her." He said, knowing full well that their first thought was that it could be their missing team member.

Those three words halted both men on the spot and caused them to release a huge sigh of relief as Steve bent over to put his hands on his knees, while Danny spun to face the other direction while running hands through his hair and down his face.

"A 9-1-1 call came in about two men attempting to rape a woman. The bad news is that it turns out there were three of them. The good news is that two employees from the bakery work graveyard and called it in." Lukela said, gesturing to one of the back doors in the alley where one man and one woman sat on a step giving their statements to an officer. "The rest of the good news is that those three were so drunk they couldn't find their own zippers, let alone assault anyone. The victim, an Asian female, did get roughed up pretty bad in the altercation though and is being taken care of by female paramedics right now, and the three drunk  
men are already on their way to booking and will soon be drying out in a cell." Duke assured them, hoping they would realize that HPD had the matter handled and that they could, and should, go.

Danny answered his ringing cell phone. "Williams... No, Adam, it's not her."

"Seriously, does that guy have a police scanner or something?" Steve asked as his partner pocketed his phone with a shrug at the comment.

"Oh, we've gotta call Chin." Danny suddenly blurted out as he jammed his hand back into his pants pocket to retrieve his phone again. "We've gotta let him know that it's no-"

"Not necessary." Steve said, cutting off his partner's words.

"Not necessary? What do you mean, it's 'not necessary'. Of course it's necessary! He's gonna race here, just like we did, and think-" Danny's rant suddenly stopped. His partner was standing still with his arms crossed over his chest, while Lukela slowly shook his head. Then it dawned on him. "You didn't call Chin, did you?"

"I might have," Steve paused, scratching the spot just above his brow with his thumb. "...accidentally,... forgotten to make that call." He finished with a hand forward in an almost Danny-like gesture.

**6:55am, 84 hours missing...**

"You're looking surprisingly awake." Danny commented as they both exited their respective vehicles and headed for the HQ entrance.

"Managed almost two hours of sleep." Steve admitted with a shrug.

"Exhaustion will do that to ya. I think I managed to doze off a bit myself. I woke up to find Grace standing next to my bed with a bowl of Cheerios in her hands." Danny said.

"She force-feeding you now?" Steve quipped.

"More like guilt-feeding me. My little monkey made a big deal out of adding sliced banana." Danny explained, knowing that his partner would understand.

And Steve did understand. "Ah. I see." He said, opening the first set of doors.  
"She make you shave, too?"

"Uh, yeah." Danny admitted as he ran a hand over his chin. "She told me I was looking too much like a 'scary bad guy'." Danny was too focused on their case right now to care about minor details like eating and shaving, but he did value his daughter's opinion of him. "What about you?"

"When I came down stairs, Doris was waiting for me at the bottom step with a protein smoothie. She said that if I was insistent on living off coffee, she would compromise with 'food in liquid form'." He said with a shrug as they entered through the last set of glass doors.

"That sounds more like something Catherine would say. I'll bet they're in cahoots with each other. But hey, it's better than a loco moco right now." Danny commented.

"And a lot better than yoga." Steve countered... and damn, they had better find Kono long before Catherine gets out of the hospital.

"Or at least more comfortable." Danny commented, as he noticed Chin at his desk and headed that direction. He came back out of the man's office just a moment later.

"Sound asleep, huh?" Steve asked unnecessarily, as Chin's upper body lay  
sprawled across his desk.

"Chin's chin is on his phone and his forehead is on his laptop. So don't be  
surprised if you get a gibberish e-mail or a big bill from him calling Mongolia."

**Meanwhile...**

Adam Noshimuri swam lap after lap in his pool. He needed to de-stress, still, and didn't care that he wasn't supposed to get the bandage on his arm wet. Dr. Choa would be by this morning to change it anyway.

Chin's words had continued to reverberate in his head throughout the night, so he hadn't slept much, but that had become the norm since Kono's abduction.

He paused his strokes, sensing someone at the pool's edge. He wasn't concerned though, because he knew Kenta did his job and did it well. He looked up to see Lili with a breakfast tray for him. He appreciated her attempts at getting him to eat, and even her concern, but only shook his head before continuing his therapeutic movements through the water.

He didn't care about food, or sleep, or even pain. He just wanted Kono back.

**10:07am at HQ - 87 hours missing...**

"You boys look like you're having one hell of a morning as well." Vice Agent Miena said as she entered with HPD Detective Panner.

Three frustrated men looked up from the Smart Table with frowns on their faces. Taking note that both women were still dressed in their gear from the previous night at the warehouse. Obviously the night's work was not yet finished for them.

Danny spoke first, "Steve has been fending off the media all morning, since the Governor's insistence they they be told about Kono's abduction. Chin just got off the phone with his Aunt and Uncle, because they can't keep the media off their front lawn and now HPD is headed over there. And I'm still knee deep in paperwork from the gun we recovered at the warehouse and the 2007 cold case murder it's attached to." He stilled his hands and shoved them into his pockets as he finished.

"We'll get her back." Panner said, getting to the important stuff first. The look of determination on her face reminded the guys that Panner was not only an HPD Detective, but Kono's friend. "None of us are giving up until we do."

With a nod of support, Miena decided the guys needed a some news to at least distract them for a bit. "You boys have some nice toys. You mind sharing for a bit?" She asked, gesturing to the Smart Table the men stood in front of.

Getting a nod of approval from Chin as they all stepped out of her way, Miena began pulling up files as Steve flew the first one of them to the large vertical monitor.

"We're taking your buddy Jun Suzuki off your hands. Between what you got out of him during the interrogation last night and the photos we received from Agent Thomas at the FBI,... we're sending him back to Japan. The State Department has some friends there fluffing the pillows in his cell right now. The attempted murder charge on him for shooting Adam Noshimuri will be added to the list of charges he faces over there, since Noshimuri had dual citizenship." She explained.

"I'm sure he will enjoy their hospitality." Danny said with some satisfaction at the tax payers of Hawaii not having to foot the bill, as Steve flew the file for Richard Thomas onto the monitor.

"We've been looking for Thomas for a long time. Although we didn't have his name yet, we were looking to cut off that branch of incoming cocaine. So, with what Five-0 uncovered at that warehouse and the confession you got out of him last night about ordering the shooting on Noshimuri and the break-ins at both homes looking for the five million,... he's going to a federal prison for the rest of his life." She said.

"And that's without even factoring in everything found at the adjoining  
warehouse." Panner added, as Steve threw the next file onto the monitor. "Nine of the women were known prostitutes, and eleven more were also there to willingly participate in the pornography. Twenty-two of the women were illegals that ended up as sex slaves."

"I though I heard Duke say there were forty-six women." Chin stated, doing the math in his head.

"You did." Miena confirmed. "The other four were female perps hiding amongst the others. Plus, there are the seven men we arrested for being either guards to keep them under control or camera crew."

"Then there's the fallout from everything found in the offices." Panner began, "Files, hard-drives, and ledgers containing names, dates, hits, pay-offs, locations, and lots of other information that will take us weeks to act on."

"This is going to keep Vice, SWAT, and ATF very busy for a while." Miena added.

"Yeah. It's just too bad there was one piece of information missing." Chin said.

"He didn't admit anything about Kono's abduction. Nothing at all?" Panner asked, expressing the frustration they all felt.

"Nothing." All three men confirmed.

"We don't think the Yakuza had anything to do with it. Or if they did, Thurner didn't know anything about it." Steve said.

"You sure? Maybe he's just good at keeping secrets." Miena asked.

Danny smirked, "Steve has his own interrogation methods that are quite,... unique,... and effective." He said, garnering a skeptical look from both women who were used to interrogate suspects. "Let's just say that the inverted view from the overhead catwalk was not to Mr. Thurner's liking."

Both women looked at Steve, who was rather enjoying the memory of hanging Richard Thurner precariously by his ankles from the rather high location. It may have even been better than a rooftop. Maybe.

**Meanwhile...**

Kono removed the filthy strips of fabric from around her hands and used them to wipe the sweat from her face before gingerly replacing them. Sweat and dirt wasn't exactly good for the blisters that now covered her palms, but she had work to do - well, 'continue' would be more accurate - while she waited for her team to find her. She had almost gotten caught this morning, as the one-sided headache continued to pound and the dizziness had only worsened, making it harder and harder to concentrate. But she would not let that happen again, nor would it keep her from her goal.

She grit her teeth and tried to concentrate on something to distract hersel  
f from the self-inflicted pain as she continued the tedious process.


	15. Nali

My thanks to PoisonedShip for the beta read,...

...to lilAzIaNpride24 for the extensive amount of English-to-Korean translations in this chapter,...

...and to my readers who submitted guesses as to what they think is in the envelope. The most common answer, by far, was 'tickets' of some kind; airline tickets (although in my story Adam has his own plane), theater tickets, etc. Although tickets make sense, flat envelop and all,... it's not tickets, of any kind. Well, the wait is over and you are about to out find out what was in the envelope. And since I had 3 different ideas, I will list the 2 unused options at the bottom of this chapter.

Tadao and Lili are in this one, so is Paulo (Pa-ooh-lo) from my previous story "The Boots".

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
** "Nali"**

**Monday continues, now 1:04pm, 90 hours missing...**

Despite the pain in her hands Kono continued to wipe at the white powder on her fingertips, then paused at realizing how silly it was to let such an irrelevant thing bothered her so much. Her head swam as the constant dizziness grew worse, making it hard for her to concentrate. She turned and once again studied the small blinking red light. It hadn't been there before, she was sure of it. Well, the dark gray box that was mounted high on the wall had been there all along, but the light, that was new.

She turned her attention back to her hands, then paused again as another stray thought floated across her mind. Oh yeah, her list. That's what she'd been thinking about earlier. It was a new list, but making lists seemed to be her thing right now. After all, it wasn't like she had anything else to do... there she was, in shackles, shackles that were then cuffed to a pipe, a steel pipe coming out of a wall. She knew she wasn't going anywhere any time soon. So yeah, she had a list.

First there had been her list of things she was pissed off about; that list had gotten quite long, and she looked forward to kicking someone's ass for her ever having to make that list in the first place. Then came the list of her aches, pains, and injuries; not nearly as long, but still too long, and she really did need that chiropractor. And now there was the new list; the menu. It was a silly list, really,... trying to remember the menu from the restaurant. She and Danny had lunch there, and ... wow, that seemed like such a long time ago. She had been there several times with Adam, too. And, oh,... Adam. She missed him,... and her Ohana.

So, Kono worked on her new list until,... dang, it sure was hard to concentrate,... and the small flashing red light got her attention again.

**Meanwhile...**

"Alright, I'll meet you there." Chin said to Steve and Danny just before they drove away in the silver Camaro. Those two would go to the Governor's Mansion for another press conference - unless they could talk him out of it, that is - while Chin went to Kono's house. Then they would meet up at Adam Noshimuri's house.

This was day four since Kono's abduction, and they were no closer to finding her than when they began. Sure, they'd accomplished a lot; arresting Itou and Yamomoto for the break-in at Noshimuri's house, then three more Yakuza members that broke into Steve's house and hurt Catherine, then there was Richard Thurner with his cocaine and flowers, and Jun Suzuki was being shipped off to Japan soon, plus all the women they had helped rescue at the warehouse,... yes, it was all good police work, but still, they didn't have their Kono back.

Chin knew he was probably doing this for himself - scratch that; he was definitely doing this for himself - but somehow the simple task of cleaning out his cousins refrigerator made sense to him. After all, she would be found soon, then she would be home safe and sound, and who would want to go home after this many days to find churned milk and moldy leftovers waiting for them? _'Not my cousin.' _ Chin told himself as he started up his motorcycle and drove away from HQ.

**40 minutes later, in Hawaii Kai...**

"안녕하세요, 겔이 경위." (Good afternoon, Lieutenant Kelly.) Tadao greeted with a slight bow as he gestured for Chin to enter the Noshimuri house. "노시모리씨는 당신을 기대하는거세요? " (Is Mr. Noshimuri expecting you?) He ask, already knowing the answer, of course.

"아니요. 근데 나는 아담 하구 말슴해야데요." (No. But I do need to speak with him.) Chin said, responding to Tadao's gesture for him to enter the foyer. They proceeded through the large house and to the lanai out back.

"각하 보게 켈리 경위는 여기 와슴니다." (Lieutenant Kelly to see you, sir.) Tadao announced, as Adam had not yet looked up from the computer tablet he was intently focusing on.

"어. 고마워요 타다우." (Oh, thank you, Tadao.) Adam said in dismissal as he looked up, surprised to see Kono's cousin in front of him. "경위." (Lieutenant.) Was all Adam said as he stood, then waited to hear if there was news.

"아직 아무것도업서." (Nothing yet.) Chin said with a slight shake of his head, knowing that the man was wanting to know if there was anything new.

Adam let out a heavy sigh of disappointment, as he lowered himself back down into the chair. "안저." (Sit.) He politely offered, gesturing towards the chair on the opposite side of the ornate patio table. "무엇인닐가 당신을 오늘 여기에서 데려와서?" (What brings you here today?) Since there was no news on Kono's whereabouts, Adam could not guess what brought her cousin to his door since he was disliked by him so much.

"스티브와 대니는 그들의 방법에. 우리의 총 감금소에서금소에서 가지고 있는 $5m를 돌리고 싶었어." (Steve and Danny are on their way, too. We want to return the $5m that has been stored in our gun cage.) Chin explained.

Adam wanted to admit that he'd forgotten about the money even being there, but didn't want it to come across as snobby, so he just gave a nod of confirmation.

"그들은 주지사를 가진 회의를 가지고, 거기에서 오고 있어." (They had a meeting with the Governor, and are coming from there.) Chin explained as he looked around and noticed the two guards.

"갠타는 또한에 의하여 가까이 있다." (Kenta is near by as well.) Adam said, noting that Chin was taking note of the guards, probably counting how many there were, and that Lili had exited the back of the house and was making her way over.

"나는 빈 접시 부게 기대하고 있었는데요, 아담씨." (I was hoping to collect an empty plate, Adam-ssi.) She said politely, yet with just a hid of scolding in her voice as she gestured to the barely touched lunch plate that had obviously been pushed away. "그러나 명확하게 나는 당신에게 먹는 충분한 시간을 주고 있지 않인다봐요." (But clearly I am not giving you enough time to eat.) She added, with a raised brow as she set down the pitcher of ice water with lemons and two glasses, then turned to return to the house, leaving the plate on the table.

"내가 보기에는. " (It seems to me,) Chin began in a lower voice, as he half-watched Lili leave, "우리는 모두 저희 후에 "음식 경찰"의 우리의 자신의 버전이 있는 것을 보인다. 나는 마래야 있고, 스티브에는 캐터린가 있고 그리고 인제 그의는 엄머니가 있고, 대니는 더블-왜미예 사이에서 아사노 박사와 그래이스 있고, 그리고 당신은,… 당신 리리가 있어." (That we all seem to have our own version of the 'food police' after us. I have Malia, Steve had Catherine and now has his mother, Danny gets a double-whammy between Dr. Asano and Grace, and you,... you have Lili.)

Adam smirked at the slight look of amusement on the other man's face, "조시매 경위. 충분히 길게 안지며는 당신은 그녀가 너팔에 있는 I.V. 몰래 움직이는다는 것을 발견할 것이다." (Careful, Lieutenant. Sit still long enough and you'll discover that she's snuck an I.V. in your arm.) He teased.

Chin was amused that the image of the petite older woman attempting such a thing. It was then that he noticed a familiar sound of the ocean. "그거는-?" (Is that-?)

"고노 파도타기를 하는거." (Kono surfing.) Adam finished, as he turned the iPad around to show what he had been watching.

"그거는-" (That's the-)

"고노가이긴 U.S Open." (The U.S. Open that Kono won.) Adam finished again, and both men watched for several minutes as the one thing they had in common kept their attention.

Then for the next twenty minutes Chin told Adam how Kono had been an advanced surfer at a very young age, how she was signed to Coral Prince, and what it was like for her to be surfing all over the world while her peers were in middle school and high school.

"간지러운 스테이지야?" (Is it in the itching stage?) Chin asked during a moment of comfortable silence.

Adam looked at the bandage around his right bicep, not aware that he'd been rubbing it. "예, 조금." (Yeah, a little bit.)

"야쿠샤이었기를 생각하면, 당신은 팔만 다친거 운이 좋거야." (Considering it was the Yakuaz, you're lucky it was only your arm.) Chin said.

"진실함. 그들은 놓치기로 알려져 있지 않닌거야. " (True. They are not know for missing.) Adam stated, tugging the short sleeve of his polo shirt back down and leaving only the bottom edge of the white bandage showing beneath it.

Chin took a breath, diving in with what could be a tricky question. "나한태 말해봐바 노시모리, 무엇이 당신을 당신의 아버지의 위치를 인수하지 않는 것을 결정해서?" (Tell me, Noshimuri, what made you decide not to take over your father's position?")

"나는 내 아버지의 위치를 인수했어." (I did take over my father's position.) Adam refuted, then quickly held up a hand. "나한테는, 중요한 유일한 위치는 가족의 법적인 사업을 운영하는거요." (To me, the only position that matters is running the family's legal business.)

Chin's expression became thoughtful, "충분히 정정 당당해." (Fair enough.) Was his response.

Adam spoke after another long moment of silence, "경위, 내 아버지는 좋은 실업가 이었어요. 중위이었 그러나, 야쿠샤의 머리로 그의 위치 때문에, 그는 또한 그의 어깨에 보는 그의 전체 생활을 보냈다." (My father was a good businessman, Lieutenant. But, because of his position as head of the Yakuza, he also spent his entire life looking over his shoulder.) He paused as he looked at his tablet and ran a finger along Kono's image still on the screen. "I told Kono that she saved my life the day we met,... meeting her confirmed for me that I was making the right decision to separate the two - the business and the Yakuza - because I didn't want to spend my life looking over my shoulder like that."

"그래서, 고노는 당신이 야쿠샤의 새로운 머리로 인수하지 않은 이유여서?" (So, Kono was the reason you didn't take over as the new head of the Yakuza?) Chin sought to confirm.

"어,... 아니요." (Mmm,... not quite.) Adam said with a slight shake of his head. "그것은 더 많은 것 같이이었어,… 나의 생활에 있는 고노가 있는 것은 저에게 확인 및 결심 나를 조서 결정을 위해 필요로 해 나는 이미 만들은거. " (It was more like,... having Kono in my life gave me the confirmation and the determination I needed for a decision I had already made.)

Chin gave a silent nod of understanding as he placed is glass back down on the table. "내 사춘일 사랑해? " (Do you love my cousin?) He asked before looking up to make eye contact with the man across the table.

Adam though for a long moment, sure that there was at least a slight smile on his face. He'd asked himself that question so many times, especially these past 4 days. Part of him felt like it would be a betrayal to discuss this with her cousin first, but then there was the other part of him. Adam opened his mouth to answer the question,... just as his phone rang.

He was not expecting a call and looked at the cell's screen, then furrowed his brow with a heavy sigh. "그들이 남동생에 관하여 말하는 무엇을 진실한다." (It's true what they say about little brothers.) He said with a smirk as he held up his phone. "당신이 다만 분 동안 저를 용서하는 경우에, 경위, 나는 이 전화를 받더야대." (If you'll excuse me for just a minute, Lieutenant, I need to take this call.)

"어, 가서바더." (Yeah, sure, go ahead.) Chin said, "나는 스티브 하고 대니가 지금 도착한거 보인다." (I see that Steve and Danny have just arrived.) He added, glancing over his shoulder as the two men, and four HPD officers, were being escorted through the side gate and toward them by Tadao.

Adam stood and began talking to his brother as he stepped several feet away, while Chin stood and walked the other direction towards his teammates.

"How did it go at the Governor's Mansion?" Chin inquired.

Steve just tightened his jaw and glared.

"Uh, that would be Steve's 'I-hate-the-press' face." Danny stated, with full arm movements towards his partner's general countenance. "And for the record, I don't like them much better." He added for accuracy, and of course with full hand movements.

"I see." Chin mumbled, not sure what else to say.

"Gentlemen." Kenta greeted from behind Steve, Danny, and their entourage. "Shall I relieve you of those?" He asked rhetorically in reference to the money bags they all carried.

Quickly the bags of ransom money were handed over to Kenta and two other equally large guards, who quickly disappeared into the main house. Leaving Five-0 to linger by the pool as Tadao escorted the HPD officers back through the side gate. It did not go unnoticed that one of the officers lingered slowly behind the others.

"What's with him?" Steve asked of the other two in a low voice and with the tip of his head.

"Not sure." Chin answered. "That's Paulo."

"Yeah,... I remember him." Danny chimed in, also in a low tone as he also watched the officer lingering behind and look at his surroundings. "From that time Kono went U.C. to help Vice."

"Mhmm." Chin muttered. "He's had a thing for her for quite a while now." He added, choosing not to comment on Paulo being a womanizing chauvinistic pig.

"So,... what's he doing? Checking out his competition?" Steve asked, realizing that a guy on a cop's salary could be easily intimidated by an estate the size of Noshimuri's.

"Guess so." Danny guessed with a shrug as the gate finally closed, then he turned to Chin, "So, uh,... how's Adam doing?" He asked with a gesture towards the man on the phone who was now pacing near the other end of the pool.

"Same as the rest of us, I guess." Chin answered with another shrug. "His brother just called as you were entering."

"He still on Maui?" Danny asked, remembering his previous conversation with Tadao, the day Adam was shot.

"I wasn't aware he was even on Maui. But I guess he could still be, since one of their three houses is there." Chin answered.

"Actually, they have seven houses." Danny clarified as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dress pants.

Chin had on what Danny would call his 'zen-face', but did manage to arch a brow at the revelation, while Steve was amused that Danny was now so calm about a fact that had bothered him so much previously.

"Gentlemen." Adam greeted, as he now approached. "My apologies for my brother's untimely call. Please, have a seat." He offered as he and Chin both took their previous spots and Lili appeared with two more glasses, another pitcher of ice water with lemons, and a pitcher of ice tea.

Danny leaned in towards his partner, "There's no tactical advantage, Steve. It's a round table." He said at noticing how Steve appeared to be weighing his options.

"Shut up, Danno." Steve mumbled in reply as he glared at his partner and took a seat, not admitting that he had chosen it for a reason. Because, yeah, there really was a tactical advantage to his choice.

"So, how is your brother these days?" Chin asked Adam as he refilled his glass then passed the pitcher towards Steve, remember that his friend Agent Thomas was frustrated over not knowing the whereabouts of the man.

"Still on Maui." Adam answered.

"You look like that bothers you." Danny observed as he reached for the ice tea.

"He, uh,.. well, he's been hanging out with some of his old friends lately." Adam answered honestly.

Their conversation quickly changed to Richard Thurner and the mess they had found at the warehouse, making Adam wonder if there were more hold-outs within his companies that he needed to search for. He vowed all due diligence in finding out, once Kono was found, that is.

"So, Adam,... what was in the envelope?" Danny asked, remembering that their previous conversation had been cut short when Yoshio returned with the requested information on Thurner.

"Envelope?" Steve questioned, looking from Danny to Adam, then to Chin who filled him in on Agent Thomas' photograph and question.

Then Danny mentioned the Christmas photo in the digital frame that showed Kono still holding the envelope.

So, now Steve was curious, too. "Yeah, what's in the envelope?" He asked.

Adam set down is glass, unable to hide the smile on his face. "Adoption papers." He answered.

That got a response from all three men seated with him.

"What? Excuse me? For who?" Were all asked at once.

Adam held up a placating hand, then directed a question to Chin, "Do you remember Nali?"

"Nali?" Chin had to think on that one for a minute. "I've actually only ever known of one Nali, who died years ago." He said with a slight shake of his head and a confused look on his face. "So, I'm not sure who yo-"

"That's the one." Adam confirmed, leaning back further in his chair.

Chin went from confused to surprised. "That's the one? But,... like I said, Nali died years ago."

"Wait, wait, wait." Danny said, unable to hold his tongue any longer. "Who is this Nali?" He asked, waving a hand back and forth between the two men.

"Yeah." Steve chimed in. He wanted answers. Being confused was not a state he liked finding himself in.

Adam gestured for Chin to answer.

Chin nodded that he would explain, but wasn't sure why, because like he'd said, Nali had died years ago. "Um, well, Nali was a turtle."

"A tur-" Danny began.

"A turtle?" Steve spit out, slightly tempted to laugh.

"Uh huh." Chin confirmed, with a look to Adam to confirm that they were still talking about the same Nali. "When Kono was a kid back in middle school, she had a pet turtle named Nali. Kono was traveling for Junior Competitions by then, so our cousin Telitha would always take care of Nali while she was gone."

"So, what happened?" Danny interrupted impatiently.

"One time when Kono was gone,... let's see, that year was probably the Junior Championship, which I think was held in Malibu." Chin continued, ignoring Danny's interruption and impatience. "Uncle Kepahu, who was Telitha's father, had a heart attack and was in the hospital for five days. So, needless to say, feeding a turtle was easily forgotten about." Chin paused, "Telitha felt so bad about what happened to Nali, but Kono could hardly hold it against her. But she really was crushed. She'd had Nali, who was a gift from our great grandfather,  
since her third birthday."

"So, how did a deceased turtle become adoption papers?" Steve wanted to know.

It was time for Adam to pick up the story. "Kono always consoled herself - and remember, she was still just a kid when this happened - by saying that Nali had just swam away and went back to Korea, where her great grandfather told her she had come from."

"Really? I didn't know that." Chin said, almost surprised that Adam would know something like that about his cousin that he didn't know.

At first, Adam just nodded in response, then took a deep breath, hoping this didn't sound too sappy. "Yeah, well, we were swapping childhood stories one evening when we were down in the south garden," He paused, gesturing over his shoulder. "Hanging out in the hammock by the fire pit, and-"

"What? Like some Harlequin moment, or something?" Danny asked.

All three men just looked at Danny, but it was Steve who broke the silence. "Seriously? Danno. You're going to admit to that?" He asked with a straight face while Chin and Adam both tried unsuccessfully to hide their grins.

"Oh,... shut up, would ya." Danny replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, then gestured for Adam to continue.

Which Adam did. "So, last time I was in Korea I met with one of my cousins who does volunteer work with endangered animals, including a program for sea turtles similar to what we have here on O'ahu. He asked me if I wanted to sponsor one of the endangered sea turtles, which I was immediately interested in. Then I learned that I could pick a name for the turtle I was sponsoring and it came with an honorary Adoption Certificate and photo of the turtle."

"So you decided to sponsor a turtle for Kono?" Chin guessed.

Adam nodded.

"And she named it Nali." Chin's guessed again.

"No. Actually, I did that." Adam said with a shrug.

"You did?"

"Seemed like a no-brainer. Didn't think I could go wrong on that one."

Chin's grin grew, "Well then, I guess Kono was right; Nali really did swim back to Korea."

"That's what I told her." Adam said.

There were times during this conversation when Steve and Danny looked like they were watching a ping-pong match, as they simultaneously looked back-and-forth between Adam and Chin.

**3:11pm - now 92 hours missing...**

Kono was the common topic of conversation as the four men continued to share anecdotes and the little bit of laughter they dared allowed themselves to experience was a good stress relief for them all.

As Lili approached the table, hoping to entice any of the men into eating, Steve's phone rang and he answered with his usual response, "McGarrett" at seeing it was from Dispatch.

Danny only partially listened to Chin's joke - something about an I.V? - as the drastic change in Steve's expression earned the majority of his attention. A face. Steve definitely had a new face he would have to come up with a name for.

"We're on our way." Steve said, already standing.

"What's going on?" Three men asked him at once.

"We know where Kono is."

**HAWAII FIVE-0 **

A/N: Kono winning the U.S. Open was from episode 1.22

A/N: Yes, there really are sponsorship programs - in both Hawaii and Korea - for sea turtles.

A/N: Adam's telling Chin about Kono saving his life is from episode 3.01

A/N: The 2 alternate ideas I had for what was in the envelope are... 1) A membership to the same health club Adam belongs to. Just think of all the massages Kono could get after a shoot out. I didn't go with this one because of Danny's comment about picking Grace up at a country club once. 2) A list of the names of the kids Adam sponsored for Kawika's foundation that Kono helps with. He could fly them in from all the different islands with his plane and/or helicopters.


	16. Found

A/N: Wanna say a _'Thank you_' to my readers for the Reviews, Favorites, and Alerts. I do my best to respond to them. To those that are signed in as Guests, that I cannot respond to, you comments are appreciated as well.

A/N: PoisonedShip and AzianPride get more kudos for the continued beta read and Korean translations.

A/N: The last chapter concluded with the team getting the call they had been waiting for. Kono had been found. But we begin this chapter by backing up just a little bit. Enjoy.

**"Found"**

**11:57am, 88 hours missing...**

"계속 해야대. 계속 해야대. 계속 해야대." (Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.) Kono continued to mumbled the encouragement to herself as the painful blisters covering her hands screamed at her to stop. She had competed the first one, and she wasn't going to stop until she succeeded with this one, too. Although she didn't know what to do beyond that accomplishment, but she would worry about that later. "계속 해야대. 계속 해야대" (Keep going. Keep going.) She continued to mumble as the blood soaked rags slipped in her hands again.

She paused only long enough to give a frustrated swipe at the sweat on her forehead, a weak attempt to keep it from dripping into her eyes again. The motion leaving her hair sticking up odd angles and she wished she hadn't lost her hair clip, as another day of afternoon heat brought the sweltering conditions.

She paused, taking note of the white powder that had worked its way under her nails, and turned again to the blinking light before clenched her yes shut at the sudden spike in pain from the ever-present one-sided headache. She breathed through the pain until it eased, leaving it even harder to concentrate than before. 'Focus. Have to focus.' She coached herself and again looked at the light. If she tried this, she would have only one shot. If she missed, they would surely realize her attempt.

**Jump ahead 3 hours...**

Kono had dozed off for a while, before being awoken by a most unpleasant pain that had started hammering in her head. Once she had breathed through it the best she could and wiped the sweat from her face, she again picked up the bloody strips of fabric and resumed her task. "계속 해야대. 계속 해야대" Keep going. Keep going.)

Kono froze.

What was that?

No. It wasn't time. They weren't supposed to be back until dark. That's the way it worked. They were going to catch her,... and they would see what she had done,... she would have to start all over. No!

**3:11pm, 92 hours missing...**

Kono was the common topic of conversation as the four men continued to share anecdotes, and the little bit of laughter they dared allow themselves to experience was a good stress relief for them all.

As Lili approached the table, hoping to entice any of the men into eating, Steve's phone rang and he answered with his usual response, "McGarrett" at seeing it was from Dispatch.

Danny only partially listened to Chin's joke - something about an I.V? - as the drastic change in Steve's expression earned the majority of his attention. A face. Steve definitely had a new face he would have to come up with a name for.

"We're on our way." Steve said, already standing.

"What's going on?" Three men asked him at once, as they also rose.

"We know where Kono is."

**3:23pm, 12 very long minutes later...**

The Camaro came to a screeching halt right behind Chin's motorcycle, just outside the chain link fence surrounding the old abandoned high school.

The old school was an architectural showcase to the 1920's. But now that all the grass and too much of the remaining landscaping had been removed before the historical society could put a halt to it, the craftmanship masterpiece with it's high arch-topped windows was surrounded by mostly dry dirt that caused mini dust-devils every time the wind blew.

One of two men ran a good hundred yards to get from the front steps of the school to the gate, which was at one end of the U-shaped driveway that had once been the loading zone for school buses. He unlocked the padlock, releasing the chain, and waved them through.

Both vehicles came to a stop, veering off the concrete and into the dirt, just a stones throw from the wide concrete steps that led to three sets of ten foot high double-doors that were the main entrance to the former school. The building was indeed massive, and Steve hoped the two security guards could tell them exactly where they had found the woman they thought was the missing Five-0 member.

"Are you Prichard?" Steve asked as soon as his feet reached the steps.

The man shook his head. "No, sir. I'm Kapana. He's Prichard." Kapana answered, gesturing to the other man now returning from the gate, who wore an identical blue shirt that read 'K&P Security' on it.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0. Tell me about the woman you found." Steve requested, as he, Danny, and Chin all put on their vests.

"Yes, sir." Kapana began, "This building was scheduled for demolition, because a new high school was built last year just a mile down the road, then it was decided that it would become a nursing home."

Danny puffed out a heavy sigh as he checked his gun. Skip the history lesson, will ya, we need to find Kono.

Perhaps Kapana picked up on the tension in the air, because he picked up the pace. "Anyway, we put in security features to make sure the building wasn't broken into or vandalized until all the final rezoning and paperwork is done at the end of next week. That includes a motion sensor in all ground floor rooms, directed at the windows. Since the electricity was cut off to this building, they are all battery powered, and we received a signal that one of the batteries was low, so we were gonna come out tomorrow and replace it. Then," He gives a sideways glance at Chin's shotgun and decides to hurry up and wrap it up. "an alert went off a few hours ago, signaling movement at one of the windows, so we came today instead. We got to the fourth door down that hallway," He gestured with his hands to the front door and then to the right, just beyond the view from the windowed front of the building. "And we could see through the window in the door that there's a lady in there on the floor."

"What makes you think it's our missing Officer Kalakaua?" Danny asked.

"Because she's all tied up." Prichard answered. "We stayed silent and just backed our way out of the building, and called the police."

"You didn't go in? See if she needed help? Offer some assistance?" Chin asked, an angry, or irritated at the very least, tone to his voice.

"Hey, man, we didn't know if whoever took her was still around." Kapana explained in their defense.

"Yeah. Okay. We get it." Steve pacified. "Now show us where she is." He instructed as he drew is weapon.

With guns drawn, Steve and Prichard led the way up the steps and through the center of the 3 sets of tall wooden double-doors, the others following closely behind. Danny brought up the rear, even though there was no way for anyone to sneak up behind them with nothing but minimal landscaping, a long and large U-shaped driveway, and a whole lot of dirt, for nearly a hundred yards in any direction and surrounded by the chain link fence. Steve held up a fist once they were all inside, at a 3-way intersection, signaling for all to stop and remain silent. He signaled for Danny to continue straight ahead, down a hallway that was at least 12' wide and lined on both sides with lockers, broken up by the occasional door. He signaled for Chin to take the wide hallway to the left, lined with lockers and doors on only the interior side, as the outside wall held side-by-side and almost-floor to ceiling arched windows that would have been fitting of the once-beautiful view out the front of the building had they not been boarded up.

Steve gave a nod at Danny as both men returned.

"Offices." He said quietly. "No sounds, no indication of anyone present."

"Ditto for the classrooms down that wing." Chin then added, mopping at his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. The hot, dusty, and stagnant air inside the old building was stifling.

"Alright." Steve said. A mixture of pleased and not, at no one else being present. Sure they wanted to catch whoever had taken Kono, but right now, their primary objective was getting her back. Hoping that the woman in the building was indeed their missing team member, he turned to Prichard and with only a nod indicated that they were ready to proceed down the wide hallway to their right that was a mirror image of the one to the left.

All five men continued quietly towards the fourth classroom door. As they approached, Kapana silently confirmed that that was the door, then he and Prichard backed away several steps to let Five-0 take it from there. Despite being boarded up, the wall of windows still provided ample light, and Chin knelt down in front of the door to examine bloody footprints. He could tell that they led both in and out of the room, but always led further down the hallway.

Danny kept an alert eye on both ends of the hallway as Steve peered through the dirty 4"x12" window. The classroom was void of furniture, the only notable features being a wall of windows on the far side, the left wall lined with empty book shelves, and the right with a blackboard. Underneath the blackboard's chalk tray ran a metal pipe, also the full length of the wall, and chained to that pipe Steve saw a woman on the floor, just as Prichard and Kapana had said.

With a nod Steve confirmed to the others that she - or at least someone - was there, then reached for the handle.

**Meanwhile...**

Kono had heard them earlier. Their returning at what she knew was the wrong time. She had stilled her actions, desperate to not get caught, and pretended to be asleep, hoping they would not consider her a threat. She thought it had worked, the retreating footsteps followed by silence indicating they had left.

But now they were back, and she knew it hadn't been long, definitely less than an hour. She could hear their footsteps coming up the hall. So once again she stilled her actions and pretended to be asleep.

She had never been able to carry out her original plan, but with this change in their MO, maybe now her chance would come.

But they weren't leaving this time. She heard the slight squeak as the door knob turned, then...

"Kono?"

Kono whipped her head around at the sound of Steve's voice. An action that caused her dizzy head to swim, but his face soon came into view, along with Danny's and Chin's, as they huddled around her.

"You're gonna be okay, Kono.", "Just relax, babe, we got ya." and "We're gonna get you outta here, Cuz." Was all heard as they took in her circumstances. Whoever had taken her obviously knew that she was a force to be reckoned with, as they thought both shackles and cuffs necessary. The cuffs were used to secure the shackles' chain to the thick steel pipe running the full length of wall.

Two cuff keys were quickly produced, but would not work on the cuffs. Obviously not standard law enforcement issue.

Damn!

Kono tried to speak, but no words came out, so she did the only thing she could think of, and grasped the large plumbing nut on the pipe. She had been working on the one near her hands and the one near her feet, hence the bleeding blisters on her palms and fingers.

All three men, at seeing what she was doing, took a divide and conquer approach. Steve took over working on the 2" wide nut near Kono's hands, while Chin got to work on the one near her feet.

"She's already got this one lose!" Chin was pleased to informed, as he gave only two spins of the lose nut and slid it out of the way.

"This one's got a way to go." Steve announced through gritted teeth, as he gripped tight and turned with all his might.

As soon as Steve had the second nut lose, he grabbed the end of the thick steel pipe and pulled upward, while Chin and Danny pushed down on their end. They were hoping the whole pipe would pivot from the center support in the wall, like a teeter-totter. But that was proving a very slow task, even though Kono obviously felt the need to assist by joining her efforts with Steve's and pushing up on the pipe end nearest her hands.

All three men had broken a sweat by the time the rusty fixtures finally yielded to their strength enough for the shackles chains to slip between the pipe ends and free it's captive.

To their surprise Kono pushed away from the wall as quickly as she could, scurrying away on all fours from where she had been secured for the last four days, staring wide-eyed at the pipe as if it would reach out and grab her to hold prisoner again.

Watching her use knees and elbows to distance herself from the piece of steel was terrible to witness, but the look on her face somehow made it all worse. Steve remained standing while running a hand down his face, while Chin sat on the floor next to his cousin and wrapped an arm around her, and Danny knelt in front of her while running a hand through his hair.

At that moment Kapana entered the room with a bottle of water and wisely handed it to Steve instead of attempting to go near Kono. Steve twisted the top off and handed it to Chin.

As soon as the bottle of water got in Kono's slightly fuzzy field of vision she all but lurched for it. Painful, cut and blistered hands or not, she used both to bring it to her mouth and guzzled as fast as she could.

"Easy, Cuz. Slow down." Chin soothed as he helped support the bottle in her shaky hands, as she began to cough as the water was coming out faster than she could swallow.

It was then that Danny rose to standing. Taking a step back and continuing to run fingers through his hair, he spun to face his partner, "I swear to God, I am gonna shoot whoever did this." He seethed out while pressing white knuckles against his mouth.

All Steve could do was nod, his face speaking volumes before he finally found the words. "It's gotta be at least 95 in here, with all this dust and stagnant air." And they didn't need a thermometer to confirm that. No, all they had to do was look at Kono, with her sweat covered,... well, everything; face, arms, shins. Even her hair was all but dripping. Actually, it looking like she'd just showered with her clothes on. Her once-white sleeveless blouse stuck to her skin, even her shorts,... wait, why were the bottoms of her pant legs shredded off at the knees?

Prichard had also moved inside the room, and was studying the motion sensor high on the wall near the door. It's red light still flashed due to the low battery, but the sensor arm was no longer directed at the window as it should be. He moved to look closer, his foot kicking something. He bent down to pick up an eraser, then held it up as he noticed Steve was watching him.

"Get 'em off! Get 'em off!" They all turned when they heard Kono yell as she suddenly dropped the now empty water bottle and began pulling on the shackles. "Get 'em off me!"

Chin's efforts to sooth his cousin were no match for the hard metal still holding her.

"Kono," Steve began as he knelt in front of her, then glanced up at Chin.

"Get 'em off!" She shouted again, still not looking up from the shackles.

"Kono, listen to me." Steve tried again, trying to still her hands that were frantically pulling on the chains. "We're gonna get them off of you. But you've gotta stop or you're just gonna hurt your hands more."

"We've got bolt cutters out in our work van." Prichard spoke up. "We're parked out by the gate."

"Go." Danny instructed as he took the two steps necessary to take the eraser from Prichard's hand while pushing the man back out the door. "Go, get 'em now! And hurry!" He added as he watched the man already running down the hallway back towards the entrance.

"Kono? Kono, what are you doing?" Chin asked, but got no reply as she slowly worked her way to her knees.

"Kono, just wait-"

Steve's words were cut off as she ignored him and pushed off of Chin to stand fully on feet that were wrapped in strips of navy blue fabric with dried blood on them.

"계속 해야대" (Keep going.) She mumbled as she began taking small, unstable steps towards the door.

Although the classroom she had been held captive in had a wall of boarded up windows, they were significantly fewer and smaller than the ones now in front of her as she exited the room to the main hall. Ditto was to be said for the amount of light that seeped through the cracks and seams, and Kono cringed as if in pain as it reached her eyes.

There was nothing the guys could do but walk out with her. She had hung in there until they found her, had done everything she could in the meantime to free herself, and now,... now she was determined to walk out of there on her own.

Steve and Danny shared uncertain sideways glances as they walked very slowly, about ten feet behind Kono and Chin, not exactly sure what to do or say at the moment. Hearing the chain of the ankle-shackles dragging behind her was pure auditory torture.

"We saw the footage from the parking garage." Danny reminded quietly, "It was quite a fight, what if she hit her head?"

Steve remained silent a moment, as if hitting the rewind button in his head to watch the footage again. He nodded, "It's possible."

Danny gave him the 'Are you serious?' look. "Possible?" He whisper-shouted. "Steve, she's-"

Steve waved a hand to shush his partner, glad that they were behind Kono at the moment. "I know." He mouthed. The concern that Kono was dealing with the lingering effects from a concussion was obviously shared by all of them.

Being a detective, and a very good one at that, meant that certain things did not go unnoticed by the New Jersey native. Which is precisely why he was glad when Chin took that moment to look back over his shoulder at them. Danny waved a hand to secure his attention, then gestured to the floor space between them where bloody foot prints were becoming more obvious with every footfall.

Chin gave a nod at seeing the evidence that Kono's feet were bleeding, but tilted his head towards something that concerned him even more; the steps they were nearing. There were only five steps to go down as they neared the end of the hall, but his cousin's unsteady steps concerned him.

"Kono," He attempted to get her attention. "Kono?"

Her silent stare-straight-ahead gaze and the half-attempted arm movement in his direction was all he needed to know that she had every intention of continuing on her own.

Until she reached the first step.

It was then that Kono closed her eyes, as they could no longer focus, and the dizziness in her head caused her to sway and her steps to come to a stop.

Chin could take no more.

He stepped down onto the first step in front of her, reached for the chain swinging between her wrists, then gently lifted it up and over his head to drape around his neck, then bent down to place an arm behind her knees and pick her up.

Kono would be carried the rest of the way. Which was a good thing, as she was no longer concious. Her head hung slack and gravity won over the parts of her hair not stuck to her sweaty neck and the chain slack between her ankles swayed with each step Chin took.

They reached the front door much more efficiently at this rate, but were unprepared for what awaited them as they stepped outside.

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

A/N: Well, hopefully Kono being found has answered several questions you've had and been given only clues to. 1) the blinking red light - the motion sensors, 2) the white powder - chalk, 3) her bloody & blistered hands - because she had been working on loosening the fittings on the pipes to free herself, 4) the strips of fabric - to wrap and protect her hands while working on #3.

A/N: I know there are more questions, which probably include; 1) what happened to her feet?, 2) why is she acting so strange?, 3) what was waiting for them outside? You will get the answers in the next 2 chapters, so you'll have to wait.

Please leave a review before you go, as my muse still has several chapters to write, because this story is far from over.


	17. Hold The Presses!

A/N: Sorry for the delay with this chapter. RL - and a twisted vertebrae - really got in the way this past week. My chiropractor is a really nice guy, but I'm sure he would understand if I never want to see him again. Plus, after writing this chapter,... it just didn't feel right, so I rewrote it, then I rewrote it again. According to my awesome beta reader PoisonedShip it has passed her inspection, so you may now read it.

Enjoy.

** "Hold The Presses!"**

Chin carried Kono the rest of the way, as she was no longer conscious. Her arms hung awkwardly against his chest, due to the chain draped around his neck. Her head hung slack and gravity won over the parts of her hair not stuck to her sweaty neck and the chain between her ankles swayed with each purposeful step he took.

He brought them down the steps and the short distance to the front entrance quickly, with Danny, Steve, and Kapana behind them.

"Wait." Steve said from behind them, as they neared the front door.

_'Oh no.'_ Thought Danny, Super SEAL's Spidy-senses are tingling again.

"What is it, Steve?" Chin asked as he slowed his stride and turned to face the other men, not wanting to delay getting medical attention for his cousin any longer.

"Where's Prichard?" He asked. Not expecting an answer, but he wanted them to know what he had been thinking.

"Oh, yeah, I sent him to get a bolt cutter." Danny reminded him, but the look on Steve's face told him that had not been necessary.

"He should be back by now." Steve observed.

A nod of agreement from Danny was all it took for both men to draw their guns and take a stance on each side of the center set of doors as Kapana took several steps back behind Chin.

Steve had a thing for countdowns, and although it wasn't heard, Danny could all but see the numbers ticking away in Steve's head. Or maybe it was the slight bobb of his head that gave it away. Either way, on the silent count of 3 they each jerked a door handle; Steve going low, Danny going high.

There were lots of things Steve was prepared for; Bad guys with semi-automatic weaponry, a ticking bomb, a hostage situation, even for Wo Fat to be standing right there in front of him. But this? No. No, this he was not prepared for.

Danny glanced over, and yep, there it was. Steve's 'I-hate-the-press' face was definitely back, as tv cameras filmed, still cameras clicked, boom-mics were leaned in their direction, and questions were shouted in a rapid-fire manner from at least 30 members of the press crowded the full width of the bottom of the steps.

Only a moment later Steve returned Danny's sideways glance. Okay, now there was a mixture of 'aneurism' face and 'I-hate-the-press' face, with a good measure of a Steve's general 'pissed-off' face thrown in. Danny had never been so glad he had never been tempted to go into journalism.

But the glance lasted only a brief moment before Steve began shouting. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa! Hey,... stop! Stop it right now!"

But the tv news reporters, newspaper reporters, radio news reporters, and God only knew who else, were all in a euphoric frenzy over the drama before them; Commander McGarrett and Detective Williams bursting through the doors with guns drawn in a prepared-to-shoot stance, with Lieutenant Kelly standing between them, but further back and still in the shadow of the doorway, carrying the missing member of the Governor's elite Five-0 task force Officer Kalakaua. Oh yeah, this was gonna be the breaking news for the next 24/7, and every member of the press was determined to be the first to break the news to O'ahu.

Oh hell no. That was not going to happen. Steve would make sure of that. "Whoa! Hey! Hey,... I said stop!" He began shouting again, nearly getting in their faces has he held up hands to push down cameras.

And it worked.

Well, at least long enough for Steve to glace back over his left shoulder and wave for Chin to take Kono to the awaiting ambulance to get the immediate medical attention she needed. But at seeing Chin quickly rush down the steps and off to his left, about half the media tried to rush him, hoping to get the graphic and dramatic pictures and camera footage that would sell news.

Steve quickly put a halt to that.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey,... stop! I told you to stop! What part of 'stop' do you not understand! Now get back!" He shouted repeatedly as he, Danny, Lukela, and several HPD members became a wall between the press and their goal. "I said stop! Get back over there! Now!" He instructed, very loudly, indicating that he wanted them all to return and remain at the foot of the steps.

They were like sharks on a feeding frenzy that had suddenly had their food source cut off. They were not happy. Neither Steve nor Danny cared about that right now.

Chin was grateful for the 'wall' of HPD uniforms that offered some sense of privacy as he recognized the woman at the back of the ambulance.

"Malia." He was clearly surprised to see her there.

"You can put her down now, Chin." She said in a gentle tone as she patted the gourney between them with one hand while readying her stethoscope with the other.

Chin quickly complied and gently lay his cousin on the gourney, noting how the chains between her ankles hung off the end, as he removed the one from around his neck to let her arms rest across her chest and stomach.

"Can I be of assistance, Dr. Kelly?" Chin looked up to discover Dr. Bergman now in front of him.

"Max?"

"Do not be alarmed, Lieutenant." Said the medical examiner in his usual choppy and formal speech, knowing that his presence often made people uncomfortable. Of course the ME's van he drove did not help with that. "Fong and I were on our way to collect some evidence when the call came over the radio from dispatch. I am only here as a doctor, to see if my assistance is needed." He assured.

"I'll ride up front, to make room." The paramedic said as he quickly jumped down and walked around the ambulance, clearly not waiting for an answer.

"I'll meet you at the hospital." Chin said with a nod, letting his wife know that he was okay with that plan. Even though he did not want to leave his cousin's side so soon after finding her, he knew that Max would be of far more assistance the he would, and right now that was all that mattered.

"Lieutenant Kelly." Prichard said as he approached from the other side of the ambulance as the gurney was loaded. "Sorry you had to wait for these, but HPD wouldn't let me back in the building because of the press." He explained as he handed over the bolt cutters. "Go ahead and take 'em. I'll get 'em back later."

"Thanks." Was Chin's grateful reply, as he passed the bolt cutters to Max who was now in the back of the ambulance with Malia and Kono.

"She's severely dehydrated." He heard Malia say as she patted the inside of Kono's elbow. "I'll start a CVC while you get the shackles off." He heard her add as he shut the doors, then quickly instructed the driver to proceed Code 2 until out of the area, then switch to Code 3 the rest of the way to the hospital. Only as the ambulance drove away did he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

**Meanwhile, back at the steps...**

The media had been effectively corralled at the base of the steps, which they obviously resented, and resist.

"Listen up!" Steve shouted to get their attention. "This is how it's gonna work-"

"Hey, we have freedom of the press, ya know!" One reporter shouted.

"You can't stop us from reporting the news!" Another shouted.

Steve levels a glare before answering. "Yes, I can." In a surprisingly calm tone.

"What are ya gonna do? Arrest us?" The first one asked in a snyde tone.

Steve focused his glare on one specific reporter before speaking. Danny would call it his 'Navy-SEAL-Death-Stare' face, this one accompanied by a pulsating vein in his neck. "Yes."

A chorus of "What?" and "You can't do that!" was heard by many.

"Yes, I can!" Steve assured them, again, loudly. "It's called obstruction of justice." And to prove his point he pulled out his handcuffs, something Danny and Luke did as well, all fully prepared to use them.

Another chorus of irritated questions and angry accusations arose.

Steve held out his hands, again, for them to stop, "I will answer your questions, as soon as all of the cameras and microphones are off!" Steve explained, or rather 'insisted'.

More irritated questions and angry accusations.

Steve shook his head, "I said,... turn off all the cameras and mics. Now!"

A few of the reporters complied.

Steve only shook his head and repeated himself.

A few more complied.

"All of them. Every one of them. No exceptions." He added.

Eventually they all reluctantly complied, although while still grumbling.

Once Steve was satisfied with their compliance, he began explaining. "This is how it's gonna work; every tv camera, every still camera, every microphone, and all other recording devices of any kind, are to be turned completely off, remain off, and be placed at your feet."

Steve remained stood with arms crossed over his chest, his 'Navy-SEAL-Death-Stare' face still firmly in place - along with the pulsating vein in his neck - until every one of them eventually complied.

Neither Danny nor Duke were sure exactly what he was up to, but either would surely admit to enjoying the control the Commander demanded at the moment. Although neither could pull off the same 'face' as Steve, they did take up similar stances by his side, and were soon joined by Chin just as Steve was about to speak.

"First, let me assure any of you that think you can disregard my directive, that to do so will get you barred from future press confrences, not only by Five-0, but the Governor's office as well." He said in a very serious manner.

A few reporters slowly slipped cell phones - obviously set on 'record' - out of their pockets and added them to the collection at their feet.

When Steve was satisfied that he had all the hold-outs taken care of, he continued. "This is what you're gonna do; each and every one of you is going to leave here. You are going to leave this neighborhood completely. You will not stay anywhere in this area, you will not go to the hospital inquiring about Officer Kalakaua, you will not go to HPD or Five-0's Headquarters seeking information. You are all going to go find another story to rep-" He held up his hand to stop a sudden murmering. "Let me finish!" Once it was quiet again, he continued. "You are all going to go find another story to report on. You will not speak to anyone about what you saw here today. You will not report it on any tv stations, radio stations, websites, or any other form of news or communication. You will not release any photos or video about it, you will not Tweet it, e-mail it, talk about it on the phone, or anything else. In fact, if you are asked about what happened here, you will say that a homeless woman was found sleeping in an abandoned building. If pressed for more information, you may say that she was given water and a ride to a homeless shelter for food and a safe place to say. You may not say anything else, to anyone, not even your bosses. Period."

At his pause, at least a dozen hands shot up, mostly accompanied by shouted questions,... in a slightly unpleasant tune.

Steve held up both hands to forestall them. "Five-0 still needs to apprehend the perportators that abducted Officer Kalakaua, and if word gets out that she has been found, that may not happen. So,... that is why every single one of you is going to leave here. That is why every single one of you is going to keep hour mouths shut about what happened here." Steve paused a moment, surprised when there was not another outcry, so he continued. "Make no mistake about it,... I was very serious when I said anyone who disregards this order will be banned from all future press confrences, and yes, arrested for Obstruction Of Justice."

Another murmer arose in the crowd of very unhappy media representatives.

"Let me also assure you,... that once we have apprehended the perpotrators, that you will all be called for a press confrence held by Five-0 and the Governor." He added to pacify them. "None of you will be left out, and all of you will be given equal opportunity to report this story,... once I tell you that you can."

Steve secured his cuffs before one final comment. "Now that I have made myself perfectly clear,... leave. Now. You may leave your business cards with Sargent Lukela."

With that directive, Steve took several steps back to group with Danny and Chin as Lukela and several HPD officers stepped forward into Steve's previously occupied space and begain ushering the reporters away from the steps and back down the long driveway towards the gate, to where numerous news-crew marked cars and vans with mini-satellite dishes atop were all parked.

A few members of the press were reluctant, but when they turned around discovered a wall of SWAT members had been standing behind the group. They reluctantly compled.

SWAT leader Lieutenant Jose Diaz approched the Five-0 men and spoke, "Commander, why don't you let us stay here? We will be undetected while we keep the scene secured and take care of any perps show up before you get back. Your team should all be with Officer Kalakaua right now." He suggested.

Steve confirmed with Chin and Danny that that was the best scenario right now and agreed that they should all be at the hospital. The perps would be dealt with, but right now Kono needed to be their focus.

"We need everyone out of here, Fong." Danny informed the CSI as they were about to leave.

Fong, who had arrived with Max and would now take the ME's van back to HQ, gestured before answering. "I need to get rid of all the tire tracks first."

Danny all but face-palmed himself at the error as he looked down at the wind-swept nearly-black asfalt that was now streaked with dust-covered tire tracks that would allert any perp that several vehicles had been present where none should be. "Good catch, Fong." He said with an appreciative hand to the other man's shoulder before getting into the passenger seat of his own car.

So Fong got rid of the tire tracks, and some footprints too, as SWAT hid their vehicles in an empty building down the street before concealing themselves in the now re-secured building. Kapana and Prichard were the last to leave, securing the gate before driving off. If the perps were to show up, all looked like no one had ever been there and their captive would still be chained up where they had left her.

Meanwhile, Steve drove behind Chin's motorcycle to the hospital.  
Kono had been found. Kono needed her team.

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

A/N: Now you know who was outside the doors waiting for them. More of your questions will be answered in the next chapter, where Kono will be at the hospital.

A/N: Ambulance Responce Code 2: Non-emergency response, but important. Must follow traffic laws. Lights and siren may be used to avoid stopped or slow traffic and to maintain safety.

A/N: Ambulance Responce Code 3: Life-threat response. Emergency traffic, or simultaneous use of lights and siren required in order to achieve a rapid response.

A/N: Malia starting a CVC = Central Venous Access Catheter (an IV access line in the large jugular vein in the neck)


	18. Trauma Room Five-0

**Before you read this chapter, please check back to the previous one!**  
Because you may get a bonus. I posted "Hold The Presses!" during a three day stretch when FanFiction was not sending out any e-mail alerts. So please check on that before you read this chapter.

Author's Notes To Self:  
1) You are not a doctor.  
2) Some medical knowledge is required for this chapter.  
3) A resonable amount of research must be done.  
4) Google is your friend.  
5) Done.

A/N: My characters for this chapter are ER trauma physician, Dr. Kukana Jacobs and ER Nurse Mahala. btw - Kukana is Hawaiian for 'Susan' and Mahala is Hawaiian for 'Holly'.

A/N: Conversations/activity in this chapter will be coming from 2 places simultaneously Inside the exam room and outside the exam room. To keep the back and forth easy to follow, I am going to italicize the text that takes place between the guys outside the room.

A/N: I'm putting Kono's age at 28. Not really sure why, it's just a guesstimation for the character. Although I find it ironic that Grace Park is older than either Scott Caan or Alex O'Loughlin, while playing the young rookie of the task force.

A/N: My beta reader PoisonedShip says it is now okay for you to read this chapter.

**"Trauma Room Five-0"**

**Monday continues at 3:49pm...**

"We got her." Danny said as soon as Adam had hit the Accept Call button on his phone.

A wordless sigh of relief was heard over the line before Adam was able to respond. "Where are they taking her?" He asked, knowing full well that her team would have her checked out, no matter what condition they had found her in.

"Hawaii Medical Center West." Danny answered. "But there's something you should know-"

Steve listened to Danny's side of the conversation as he drove behind Chin. Danny was explaining Kono's injuries to Adam, and their suspicions of a concussion. It had been an unpleasant experience finding her that way, although on some level they were all just relieved to have found her alive, or at all. It was still hard seeing their teammate that way, and Adam needed to be prepared.

"He's meeting us at the hospital." Danny said unnecessarily after ending the call.

"Yeah. I kinda figured that." Steve replied.

**A few minutes later...**

"Officer Kono Kalakaua, 28. Abducted 4 days ago. Lost consciousness soon after being found, then she came to in the ambulance en route." Malia began listing off the pertinent information to Dr. Kukana Jacobs as soon as the gurney was pushed through the Emergency Room doors. "Blood pressure, low at 91/57. Pulse, rapid at 88. Respiratory rate, rapid at 32. She's dehydrated, and a CVC line has been established."

"Good to see you, Dr. Kelly." Jacobs greeted. She was a trauma specialist and knew that a calm tone helped set everyone at ease, even with her fellow medical personnel who, in this case, knew the patient. "Let's take her to Trauma Room Five." She added, already steering the gurney in that direction.

Unlike the usual curtained off patient areas, Trauma Room Five was one of a few special ER designated treatment areas that was an actual walled-in room. This one in particular, was larger than most and at the end of the hall for additional privacy for the needs of patients in certain circumstances. It also had the added feature of an observation window, viewing of course allowed only by necessary medical personnel and in some cases, law enforcement.

Malia had been in radio contact with Dr. Jacobs en route, so Jacobs already knew that Kono, once alert again, had refused to lie down, hence the raised head of the gurney. This scenario was not uncommon in the case of someone who had been restrained, and Jacobs took that into account when dealing with her newly assigned patient.

"Officer Kalakaua, I'm Dr. Jacobs." She introduced herself as the gurney was pushed through the doorway of TR5. "The paramedics are going to lift you off the gurney and set you right here on the end of the exam table." She added, attempting to make eye contact with her patient.

But Kono's limbs were lax at her side, her eyes were glazed over, and her blank expression gave no indication of having even heard the doctor. Jacobs eventually got a slight nod in reply.

_Steve, Danny, and Chin had entered the ER right behind the ambulance, and seeing Max standing at the end of the hall, they quickly approached. Their badges allowing them access to the otherwise restricted area. Max's gaze through the observation window answered their immediate question._

_"How is she?" Chin asked, as calmly as his usual zen-self would allow, as they all watched the two paramedics carefully lift his cousin from the gurney. He couldn't help but notice her blank stare and limp limbs._

_"Dr. Kelly had to start a CVC,... that is a Central Venous Access Catheter,... an IV access line in the larger jugular vein in the neck. This is due to Officer Kalakaua being severely dehydrated, making the veins in her arms inaccessible " Max explained. "She regained consciousness in the ambulance. Her immediate response was not to be in a supine,... or lying down,... position. This is very common in trauma patients. More so in Officer Kalakaua's case, as she was restrained in a similar position."_

_"What about her injuries" Danny inquired._

_"Dr. Kukana Jacobs is the attending trauma physician here in the ER. She will begin accessing Officer Kalakaua's condition momentarily. However,... I can tell you that her blood pressure is too low, and both her pulse and respiratory rates are too high." Max informed._

_"Why?" Danny demanded. "Why, the, uh..." He gestured with his unpocketed hand to indicate the up and down of the things he wanted to know._

_Apparently Max had hung around Danny often enough to decipher the hand signals. "Heat exhaustion and dehydration can both contribute to low blood pressure. Which in turn can cause both the heart to beat faster and the lungs to work harder, as they attempt to get additional oxygen."_

_Just then the door around the corner from the viewing window opened as the paramedics left TR5 with the now-empty gurney. As they watched them leave back down the hall, they saw Adam come rushing in._

_"How many traffic laws do you think he just broke getting here this fast?" Danny mumbled to Steve._

_Steve just raised a brow and nodded in silent agreement._

_"How is sh-"_

_That was as far as Adam got before realizing Kono was on the other side of the window to his left. The hall wrapped around the corner room, with the door on one side, and the window on the other. The exam table sat parallel to the window, so Kono was sat facing the door to the room. With the doctor seated on a stool in front of Kono and Malia on her far side, they were offered a clear profile of her hunched lithe figure, a shadow of her usual self._

_Adam's immediate response was a step back, while pressing white knuckles to his mouth as if trying to keep down bile._

_"Oh my God." He breathed out as he retook his step forward to pressed a hand against the glass as if trying to reach out and touch her._

"Officer Kalakaua," Dr. Jacobs began, "I need to talk to you about your injuries."

Kono only half raised her head, and although not quite making eye contact she did slowly raise both arms out in front of herself.

Jacobs nodded, taking her patient's cues. "Okay, we'll start with your wrists then." She paused. "I heard about the shackles. I suppose that explains the condition of your ankles as well."

_Oh, I have the shackles clearly marked 'right' & 'left'' and 'wrist' & 'ankle', of course here in these evidence bags. Max said, indicating the four large, clear bags in a box on the floor near his feet._

Kono slowly and wordlessly turned her hands so that her palms were up, allowing Jacobs to carefully remove the dirty strips of fabric from her left hand while Malia did the same for her right. This revealed a trail of blisters that ran from the tips of her first two fingers, down both fingers, across her palms, and up to the tips of her thumbs.

"She got the first plumbing nut completely loose, and got the second one started." Malia supplied, trying to inform her colleague about what happened without having to actually say it, as well as say something encouraging to her cousin-in-law.

"Impressive." Jacobs affirmed, examining the blisters closer while Malia sealed the strips of fabric in evidence bags. "That must have been very difficult, considering the pipes were very rusty." She added with a nod to Malia, a silent communication that there were rust flakes in the wounds. Then turned to Nurse Mahala, "Make a note that we'll need an orthopod."

"Kono," Malia began. "Tell us how you got those cuts all over your finger tips." She requested as she handed the evidence bags over to the nurse.

_"An orthopod is an orthopedist that specializes in the hands." Max said, explaining the obviously unfamiliar term to the men that stood outside the window with him. "There is a possibility of nerve damage, although doubtful, as none of the cuts Dr. Kelly or I observed appeared to be deep enough to cause that. However, the rust embedded in the open blisters will definitely be a cause for concern."_

_Max had found this occasion to work with a live patient, verses a dead victim, to be quite stimulating. The bonus was that now he would be able to help his colleagues by translating the medical terminology._

But Kono remained silent, and Jacobs suddenly scooted the wheeled stool she was sitting on back as she realized that her patient was attempting to straighten out her right leg and lift a foot. Perplexed by the action, Jacobs assisted, being careful of the band of blisters around Kono's ankle.

The stool was soon shoved out of the way, as Jacobs knelt down and examined Kono's feet. "Apparently it has something to do with these cuts all over the bottoms of her feet."

"Ti-le." Kono mumbled as her head lulled to one side.

Malia knelt down a bit, attempting to make eye contact with Kono. "What 'tile', Kono?"

"Bro-ke'." Kono mumbled while blinking heavily, an attempt to clear her blurry vision.

"The tiles were broken?" Malia repeated, in part for those outside the window that couldn't hear the softly spoken words.

_Steve took out his phone and sent a test message to SWAT Leader Lieutenant Jose Diaz about the broken tiles._

"Okay,... you walked on broken tiles and cut your feet." Jacobs surmised and grabbed a magnifying glass as Kono only gave a slight nod. She used the magnifying glass to examine the cuts on Kono's feet, then her hands. Then she looked at Mahala again, "We're gonna need a podiatrist, too." She turned to Malia, "Some of these cuts are really deep, one in particular, and I'm concerned that there are still shards left in at least two of them."

_"A foot doctor." Max quickly informed, as they watched Nurse Mahala make a chart note before setting a rectangular tub of iodine solution on the exam table's pull-out foot rest. Dr. Jacobs then set Kono's feet down into it. "Her feet will be amber colored soon, but the iodine will help kill bacteria." Max added before turning to the men next to him. "That is the easy part. The hard part will be extracting any remaining shards, without further breaking them, potentially causing tissue damage."_

"T'ice...a'day." It was the most words Kono had said so far, but no one was quite sure what she meant.

"Kono." Malia said, attempting to get her attention, the blank stare still present. "Kono, what happened twice a day?" She asked with worry in her heart.

"They... came." Kono breathed out.

"The men who took you?" Malia sought to confirm, trying to get as much information as she could.

Kono, again, leaned slightly to the side, blinking heavily, without speaking. For a moment it looked as if she had fallen asleep hunched over, then her head lulled to the other side.

"Kono." Malia tried again. "Kono, I need to ask you; Did they hurt you?" The question was a hard one to ask any woman, but knowing that her husband was on the other side of the window made this one all the more difficult. And for Malia herself, it was so much easier to think of the woman before her as a 'patient' instead of a 'victim'.

_Adam was the first to suck in a sharp breath. Now leaning his forehead against the glass of the observation window, he suddenly struggled to control his breathing._

_He had been so worried. Worried about who had taken her and where she was. Desperate to find her. Desperate to just have her back. He couldn't count the number of times he wondered about the worse-case-scenario, wondered if she was being violated that way. It was certainly equal to the number of times he drove the thoughts from his mind. And now, she was being asked._

"Left... me... there." Was the eventual reply.

"Officer Kalakaua," Jacobs decided to give it a try. There was a reason she was always assigned the patients that were female victims. "Did they just chain you up and leave you there?"

"Wa-ter." She mumbled. "T'ice...a... day." She eventually repeated.

The other women in the room were piece by piece putting the frustrating word puzzle together.

"Maybe they took her some place twice a day? Some place with water?" Nurse Mahala said with a shrug and speaking for the first time.

"Kono. Did they take you twice a day to a place that had water?" Malia asked, trying to piece together all the words Kono had said, and needing only a 'yes' or 'no' answer, or even a nod, which was all their patient seemed capable to give them at the moment.

_Steve's phone rang at that moment, a call from Diaz._

_He explained as soon as he pocketed his phone. Diaz says the bloody footprints outside the classroom we found Kono in, lead to a small locker room attached to the coach's office, by the gymnasium._

_Chin texted his wife._

Malia looped her stethoscope around her neck to take her phone from the pocket of her white coat and read the text from Chin. She looked to the window, knowing he was on the other side and gave a slight nod before pocketing her phone. "Kono." She began, now having a way to connect several pieces of the puzzle. "Tell us about the locker room. Did they take you there twice a day?"

But instead of answering, Kono suddenly reacted to the sharp pain in her one-sided headache.

Jacobs noted that her patient seemed to grasp at only one side of her head, and asked, "Do the lights hurt your eyes?" If the lights did hurt her patient's eyes or head, then loud sounds could as well.

Then they waited for an answer. "Al-w's... hur's." Kono eventually mumbled.

"Your head always hurts?" Jacobs sought to confirm. She had been informed that they might be dealing with a concussion. "Did you hit your head? When you fought off your captors, or at some other time?"

Jacobs pulled the wheeled stool back over and retook her seat in front of Kono, who hadn't answered. "I'm sure the lights are making your head hurt too, but I need to check your eyes."

"Those are some impressive bruises you've got on your jaw, and I can see the tazer marks on your neck." Jacobs said while putting away the dreaded pen light. "Fortunately your pupils are equal and responsive, so there's no concussion."

_"The contusions or hematomas, oh, pardon me,... that would be the bruising on Officer Kalakaua, are probably residual from her altercation in the parking garage. As indicated by their current color in the healing process. They all appear to be subcutaneous bruises, the kind that occur beneath the skin. Although, I cannot say definitively that there are no inter-muscular or periosteal bruises, as they would not be visible at the epidermis level." Max explained._

Malia knew she still needed the answer to a difficult question. "Kono, I still need to know; did they hurt you?"

Kono sat there unmoving for a moment before attempting to make eye contact.

"Kono, we need to know if they-"

"Kno'... wha'... y'r... ask'n." Kono said, with only the slightest wave of a hand. "Told... you. Lef'... me... th'r."

_"Although that is good news, indeed, gentlemen, I should take this opportunity to let you know that the curtain to the window of this trauma room can be closed for any number of reasons." Max said._

"They chained you up and left you there?" Jacobs asked, both surprised and impressed by her patients many words, but needing to confirm the facts. Kono gave a slight nod, so she continued. "They only came twice a day, to take you to the locker room?"

Another nod to confirm. "Wa-ter... t'ice... a'day."

"Wait." Malia said, getting lower and into Kono's view. "They took you to the locker room, so you could get water?"

A heavy blink, followed by a nod.

"Damn." Jacobs seethed out. "That explains a lot." She said for the benefit of those outside the viewing window.

_"Dehydration can cause a lot of complications, as well as contributing to dizziness, confusion, and blurry vision, as well as rapid breathing." Max explained. "And as I mentioned earlier, it is also the reason Dr. Kelly started a CVC."_

_"Um, excuse me,.. CVC?" Adam inquired._

_"Oh, yeah, sorry. Dr. Max Bergman, this is Adam Noshimuri." Steve quickly made the introductions that had been neglected._

_"Oh, yes, Mr. Noshimuri. That would be the Central Venous Access Catheter in the jugular vein in the neck. This was due to Officer Kalakaua being severely dehydrated, making the veins in her arms inaccessible." Max both greeted and explained once realizing that the man had not been present previously for his explanation._

"Yeah, it does explain a lot. But not everything." Jacobs said, mostly thinking out loud. "What did they feed you?" She asked her patient, still feeling like she was missing one very large part of the puzzle.

The slight shake of Kono's head was hard to make out as she continued to sway slightly.

"Oh shit." Jacobs mumbled, then looked up at Nurse Mahala. She was going to ask for a glucose test strip, but Mahala was already getting one.

"Oh my God." Malia was trying to keep her emotions in check, but it was hard. "They didn't feed you, did they?"

One more shake of Kono's head and one drop of blood from her finger had the nurse giving the results, "Her glucose level is only 53."

Suddenly the mood in the room changed.

"Dextrose 25%?" Mahala needed confirmed by the doctor, although she was already unlocking the supply cabinet near the head of the bed.

"No." Jacobs stopped her. "Make it 10%, and get Dr. Kelly a Lilly Kit." Then she turned to her patient. "We're gonna make you feel better, real soon. I promise." She assured her patient, then lifted the phone near the door behind her to put in a stat request to the pharmacy.

_Danny took one look at Max taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Max? Max, what's going on?" He insisted, his hand motions making a pleading gesture all their own._

_"And this explains the rest." Max said, mostly to himself before putting his glasses back on and looking up at the concerned faces that kept going back and forth between looking at him and looking at what was going on inside TR5. He took a deep breath before speaking, "Officer Kalakaua is in a rather dangerous hypoglycemic state."_

_"You mean like low blood sugar?" Adam sought to know._

_"Well-" Max drew out. "In a simplified matter of speaking; yes." The commotion inside the trauma room getting his attention briefly, he forced himself to focus again. "First of all, let me assure you that Dr. Jacobs' decision to use a Lilly Kit is a wise one. This glucagon emergency kit consists of a muscle-inserted glucose boost that can have a patient feeling better very quickly. Usually in ten minutes, sometimes less."_

_"So, she's gonna be okay, right?" Chin needed to know._

_Another deep breath for the usually calm medical examiner was necessary, and for a moment he wondered if this was why he stuck to working with dead bodies._

_"Max?" Steve was trying to secure the other man's attention and get the answers they all needed to hear, rather they liked them or not._

_Max cleared his throat. "This explains why Officer Kalakau was unconscious in the ambulance and is having a hard time remaining conscious at this time. It is a side effect of the hypoglycemic state."_

_"And what's with the 53? Why is that important?" Danny asked. After all, he was a Detective, and he needed information._

_"Let us just say, Detective, that it is good that she was found before it fell below 50." Max said, wanting to leave it at that much information._

Clearly, Max was not going to get what he wanted.

_"What happens at 50?" Chin wanted to know._

_Max didn't want to answer that, he really didn't. This was one of those times when working with Detectives had it's drawbacks. "Above 50 to about 70 is the hypoglycemic state. To fall below 50 could result in hypoglycemia complications, such as seizures,... or possibly, even death."_

"Kono," Malia began as she opened the kit, while Mahala checked the nearly empty IV bag before cutting the side of her pants-turned-shorts a little further, exposing the outside of their patient's left thigh. "I'm going to give you a shot that's going to make you feel a lot better real fast. But it's gotta go in the muscle of your leg, so it's gonna hurt a little."

Malia reached across Kono and used the large gauge needle to inject the glucose boost directly into the side of her thigh while Dr. Jacobs was still on the phone and Nurse Mahala left the room.

_The first thing Nurse Mahala did at exiting TR5, was to come around the corner with 2 more evidence bags. One labeled for the right hand, the other for the left, they contained the strips of fabric that had been wrapped around Kono's hands._

_Mahala's attempt to hand them to Max, whom she recognized as having arrived with their patient, was interrupted by a tall man in black Kevlar._

_"Thank you, Nurse Mahala." Max said politely, while indicating to her that it was okay to let the other man have the evidence bags._

_Mahala then noticed the badge, quickly nodded, and took off down the hallway._

_Danny stepped in front of Steve to get a better look._

_"What?" Adam wanted to know what was so significant about the fabric._

_Steve handed the bags to Max before speaking. "These rags were once the bottoms of Kono's pant legs." He explained._

_Adam whipped his head around to see for himself. Sure enough, Kono's pant legs ended either above or below the knee, depending on which part you were looking at, because they had been torn. Well, 'shredded', would be more accurate._

_Danny picked up one of the bags with an ankle shackle in it. After all, there was no need to hide the ugly truth. "She used the rest on these." He said._

_And sure enough, more of the same navy blue fabric was wrapped around the shackles, an obvious attempt to protect her skin from the unforgiving metal._

"Officer Kalakaua." Mahala began as she reentered the room carrying a small bathroom-size Dixie cup. "I know you'd probably prefer a cheeseburger right now, so all I'm gonna say is, 'don't shoot the messenger', okay?"

She handed the small cup to Kono, with a thick pink liquid in it that resembled a melted strawberry milkshake.

"It's a protein drin-." Malia began unnecessarily.

Kono didn't care what it was, she used shaky hands to tip the too-small cup to get every last drop. Mahala took the empty cup back and got a pleadingly look.

"I know you want more, Kono. But your stomach hasn't had anything but minimal amounts of water for four days. If we give you too much at once, you'll never keep it down." Malia explained sympathetically.

"Officer Kalakaua, if you can keep that down for 20 minutes, we'll give you another one." Jacobs promised, "Then, if you can keep that one down too,... I promise you,... you can have anything to eat you want. In fact, I will personally order you the biggest ham & pineapple pizza I can find." She knew she was deal-making, something she felt she should never do with a patients health, but honestly, she didn't think even the 2 ounces of fluid stood a good chance of staying put.

_"Seriously?" Danny began. "The woman hasn't eaten in 4 days and you're gonna ruin her pizza? That outta be a crime. I'm gonna arrest anyone who does that, and bring her a proper pie."_

_And of course, Steve could hear the deflection in every word._

Kono blinked heavily, another attempt to clear her vision, as she again swayed, this time further than usual as she attempted to keep her eyes open. Malia caught her as she nearly toppled from the exam table, and the idea that they might lay her down sent Kono into a near panic, as she struggled to remain upright.

"Did they ever offer you food?" Jacobs asked, wondering if the officer would have refuse anything offered anyway, for fear it was drugged or poisoned.

"No." Kono mumbled out. It was a minimal answer, but at least it was more than just a shake of her head.

"Did you ever ask them for anything to eat?" Jacobs asked.

This time Kono managed to slowly raise her head enough to almost make eye contact, "Ma'... tha'... mis't'k... o'ly... once." She said, rubbing her throat.

"What happened?" Mahala couldn't help but ask as she replaced the now empty IV bag with one that was high potassium. The flow was set wide open to help with the dehydration and electrolyte balance as quickly as possible.

"Ba...re...tta... n'in...'y." Kono managed while continuing to rub her throat.

Both Dr. Jacobs and Nurse Mahala looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what that meant.

_While Chin texts his wife, the others look to Max once again for an explanation._

_"Potassium is an electrolyte, and low potassium, which is known as hypokalemia, can be quite serious, as proper levels are critical for proper function of the nerve and muscle cells. Hypokalemia would explain Officer Kalakaua's apparent weakness, both physically and mentally."_

Malia checked her phone. Another text from Chin read: Baretta 90 gun. Malia looked up at her cousin-in-law again, then to Jacobs before speaking. "Look down her throat."

Jacobs gave her a puzzled look but took out her pen light while standing. "Why is there a scratch down the back of her throat?" She asked.

"Oh my God." Malia said, a hand going to her mouth as she looked over at the window she knew her husband was on the other side of. She took a deep breath before speaking. "It's from the sight on a Baretta 90 hand gun."

"Whoa. Whoa, whoa." Jacobs took a step back and was stunned. "Wait a minute,...are you saying-?"

Malia nodded, needing a moment to control her anger. "They shoved the barrel of the gun down her throat when she asked for food."

_'Shock' and 'disgust' could not begin to convey what they felt at hearing those words, and suddenly it was a good thing that none of them had managed to eat anything, either._

_At that moment, and grateful for the mental distraction, the men all noticed a woman dressed in what appeared to be a lab coat approach quickly with a clear bag in her hand and enter TR5._

_"It appears that the stat order Dr. Jacobs called in to the pharmacy has arrived. She requested that it be made specifically for her patient. Unlike a standard saline solution, this one will have her ordered amounts of sodium, potassium, and glucose." Max explained._

"Did you see what they looked like?" Malia asked. Not that it made any difference in her medical care, but she knew the men on the other side of the window needed the information. Besides, asking questions of any kind helped them assess a patients cognitive abilities.

Kono attempted to answer, but quickly closed her mouth, pursing her lips to together, the back of her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"I was afraid of that." Jacobs said quietly, as Mahala secured the new IV and reached for an emesis basin. "It's okay. We didn't think it would stay down anyway." She soothed.

But Kono steadied her breathing and shook her head stubbornly as she turned away from the window. She knew her team was out there, and probably Adam, too. She didn't want them to see her like this.

_"Unfortunately, it appears that the protein drink Officer Kalakaua consumed is not going to-"_

_"Yeah, uh, you can skip the pre-med lesson on this one, Max. We get it." Danny said._

"It's okay, Kono. Just get it over with." Malia said to her quietly, rubbing small circles on her shoulder.

Although her body had one thing in mind, the glucose was kicking in, allowing her mind to work a little clearer. "Two... of... th'm." She said.

"Could you see what they looked like?" Malia repeated.

Kono shook her head slightly. "Mas-k." She preferred thinking about catching the men who had done this to her, instead of on how miserable she was.

"When they came, did they always come at the same time?" Malia asked.

That question got them a nod.

"When, Kono? When did they come and take you to the locker room?"

"Mor'ng... ni-te."

"They came every morning and every night?"

Another nod. "Af-ter... sun... up. Af-ter... sun... d'wn." Kono didn't know the exact time, because her cell phone was long gone and the clock on the wall in the class room she had been held in clearly did not have electricity to it. "'Bout... ei't."

"About 8 o'clock?"

"Th-'in... so."

Then comething dawned on Kono.

Dr. Jacobs noticed a sudden change in her patient's expression. Well, primarily that she had an expression at all, because up until now there had been only a glazed over stare that never quite made eye contact, and an expressionless face that indicated a 'not quite there' presence. She wanted to think this was a good thing, that the glucose and potassium were kicking in, allowing her patient to be in better mental condition. But part of her didn't think that was all there was to it. It was probably the part that noticed the increased pulse and respiratory rate of her patient.

If Kono didn't have her cell phone, then..."Gun. Wh'r... my... g-un." She suddenly demanded. Well, 'demanded' in a slurred speech, limp limbed, and slow of movement kind of way. The idea that she hadn't seen it since the parking garage finally coming to her. More upsetting though was the realization that she hadn't though of it until now, at least not that she could remember. "Ba-ge." She added while actually attempting to get off the exam table, though without much success, at all.

Malia easily kept Kono's legs where they were while speaking calmly and with assurance. "Chin's got 'em." She didn't know exactly who had them at the moment, but that was beside the point. "They were found at the scene, Kono. You don't have to worry about them, they're secure." She added, getting to the important part.

With hopefully all medical mysteries solved, the special-ordered IV now started, and 2 specialists on the way, Dr. Jacobs was confident that she had done everything she could for her patient at the moment. She gave her colleague a nod and her patient an, "I'll be back" before leaving the room. She knew there was a usual than larger group outside the observation window that would surely have questions for her. "Dr. Bergman." She greeted as she rounded the corner into the 'authorized personnel only' area outside TR5's observation window.

"Dr. Jacobs." Max returned. "Please, allow me to introduce the rest of Officer Kalakaua's Five-0 team. This is Lieutenant Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams, and this is Lieutenant Kelly, who is Dr. Kelly's husband and-"

"And Officer Kalakaua's cousin." Jacobs supplied as she reached for his hand in turn.

"Thank you for taking good care of my cousin." Chin said.

"Only sorry I had to be of service." Jacobs replied honestly before turning to Adam.

"And this is Mr. Noshimuri." Max added to finish off the group.

Jacobs shook the hand of the man she assumed was either a significant other or a relative, judging by the lack of an official title next to his name. "Mr. Noshimuri."

"I assume Dr. Bergman has been covering the play-by-play." Jacobs said, getting nods from all the men.

"But, of course, if you have anything to add, or would like to recap, Dr. Jacobs, please, by all means." Max said, not wanting to intrude in another doctor's space. After all, he would feel the same in his own lab.

Jacobs just nodded with a slight smile, as she had seen this similar professional song and dance many times. "I'll just give you a basic overview to make sure that between Dr. Bergman and myself that we've covered all the information bases. How's that?" She suggested and got unanimous nods in return, so she dove in. "The shackles left red bands around her wrists and ankles, and blisters mostly at the edges. Regarding the cuts in her feet, her right foot is the worst. A podiatrist will be called in, because there is at least one cut that is very deep and will need sub-dermal sutures, and at least two cuts that I suspect still have shards in them. Her attempts to remove the tile shards resulted in numerous cuts to almost all of her finger tips. I am calling in a orthopod - which is an orthopedist that specializes in hands - because although the cuts appear to be shallow, there could still be some nerve damage. Plus, some of the blisters on her hands are open and have rust in them. She has the burn marks from the tazer and a lot of bruising, but it's all in the healing stages and probably came from when she was abducted, too. The scratch down the back of her throat-" Jacobs paused a moment, just shaking her head. "I've gotta tell ya, I've seen a lot of things working in this ER, but that is a first." She paused again before continuing, "The scratch is minor, but the cause of it is major. Her not being fed for four days has put her in a hypoglycemic state and is the cause of her headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and inability to concentrate. Additionally, the dehydration is contributing to her headache and low blood pressure, as well as her elevated pulse and respiratory rates. Do you have any questions for me?"

Chin spoke up first. "Yeah. What now?"

Jacobs nodded, mostly to herself, it was a common question after all. "Right now her feet are soaking in an iodine solution, in preparation for suturing, and she is being given an IV to hydrate her as well as to correct her glucose and electrolyte imbalance."

"It sounds like you're taking good care of her, doc." Danny said.

"We always do our best, Detective." Jacobs said with a smile, it always felt good to be appreciated. "Any more questions?"

"When can we see her?" Adam asked.

"Well, due to her electrolyte and glucose imbalance right now, she's not very coherent. But if you don't mind that, and the police have no objections..." She paused to look at Steve, leaving her unspoken go-ahead hanging.

Steve obviously go the message. "Go see her." He said with a tip of his head towards the room.

That was all it took. Adam was gone.

Meanwhile...

"Ar'... they st'l... th'r?" Kono asked Malia, while tipping her head slightly towards the window. She knew they had been watching.

Malia was pleased to see an actual tip of the head, instead of the previous swaying. "Of course. They're probably just waiting, impatiently of course, for the all-clear to come in here." Malia teased.

"Wh'z... th'r?" Kono asked.

"Max rode in with us and it's safe to say he's still here. I know Chin is there. Probably Steve and Danny, too. And Adam."

"Ad'm here?" Kono breathed out.

Adam all but burst through the barely open door. "Right here, Sweetheart." He said as a few purposeful strides reached her. Malia quickly side stepped to let him near.

Kono did her best to return the hug as Adam's hip slid onto the table next to hers, getting as close to her as he could and gently pulling her head close to his chest.

Malia picked out only a few of the mumbled words they shared before leaving the room to find her husband.

"Well, if you have any more questions just let the nurse know." She heard Jacobs say as she rounded the corner to join the small group.

"I need to go update Officer Kalakaua's chart notes and order her antibiotics." Jacobs added, then passed Malia as she departed.

Malia went straight to her husband and wrapped arms around him. "She's gonna be okay, Chin." She assured him.

He returned her embrace, grateful for her calming presence as his usual zen-like countenance nearly faltered. "Yeah." He mumbled as they parted. He couldn't get the image of a gun being shoved down his cousin's throat out of his head. Odds were, it was going to be there for a while.

Fong arrived then to collect the evidence box, and several minutes were spent relaying information and being grateful that their colleague had been found.

Meanwhile Steve took time to call Lieutenant Diaz, letting him know about the 8-ish o'clock time frame to expect their perps to return to the scene.

Danny stood silently by, hands shoved into the pockets of his dress pants, and still staring at the window. Kono's thinner-than-usual profile reminding him of his second cousin that suffered from anorexia.

Also meanwhile, Adam held Kono. He just held her. Her attempts to return his embrace were weak, at best, but he didn't care. He was just grateful she had been found, been found alive, and that she had not been assaulted in a way that he didn't even want to think about, ever again.

He spoke soft and soothing words to her, assuring her that she was safe and being taken good care of now. Although the words were just as much for himself as for her. He knew that as much as she did. She mumbled a few words in return, although he could not understand any of them, but that didn't matter.

In his peripheral vision he noticed Nurse Mahala as she went about her duties within the room as if they weren't even there. It seemed odd to him, that she could see a woman limp, dehydrated, starved, and suffering from heat exhaustion, among other things, yet could still be so calm. It was definitely a good thing he hadn't gone into the medical profession.

It was only a moment later he noticed something, and if the heart monitor had been on him instead, it would have been pinging off the charts.

"Kono?" He asked, trying not to be alarmed. "Kono?!" He tried again, definitely louder this time. Yeah, that 'not alarmed' thing wasn't working.

With one arm still around her waist and a hand on the back of her head, he gently laid her back on the exam table. Her head sagging before touching the thing mattress first, then tilting to one side. Her already limp arms falling away from him, hanging awkwardly in the air before resting beside her. Her long legs still bent at the knees over the end of the table with her feet in the iodine. "What's wrong?" He asked Mahala in obvious alarm.

Malia and Chin both appeared at in the doorway at that moment. Obviously they had heard his voice, or at least the concern therein.

"Ah, right on time." She said with a gentle smile and in an irritatingly calm to as she looked at her watch.

Adam just looked at her in confusion, and with a hint of irritation.

"We couldn't give her any pain relief earlier, because of the possible concussion." Mahala explained, again in a tone that Adam found overly-calm and a now definitely irritating, as she checked her patient's pulse.

"She's right." He heard Malia say from the doorway, as he stood fully and turned towards her.

"A concussion has to be ruled out before pain medicine can be administered." Malia explained as she fully entered the room, her husband right behind her. "She's okay, Adam." She assured him with a hand to his arm. "She's pain free right now and in very good hands."

"It's just that,..." He began, looking down at Kono, then looking back up. "Just... warn a guy next time, okay?" He said with a heavy exhale and running a hand through his jet black hair.

"Everything okay?" Steve asked tentatively from the doorway, Danny right behind him. They had stayed at the window at the sound of Adam's voice, but they also needed the reassurance.

Both men were obviously pleased to get both verbal responses and gestures in the positive. "Good." Steve said before turning to Chin. "We, uh, we gotta go." He really didn't want to end their time together, especially as they were a whole team again, but they had things to do to end this case completely. "SWAT is still set up at the scene and we've gotta join them, make a plan, and get set up before the perps return."

Lieutenant Diaz had offered for SWAT to wrap-up the situation back at the old high school for them, allowing the Five-0 Task Force time to be together again. But Steve knew, even without asking his team, that they would want to take part in this.

Chin gave a nod of compliance. He didn't want to leave his cousin right now, but the job called. And in this case, they would be doing a whole lot more than just arresting a criminal perpetrator.

"Go." Malia all but whispered to her husband. "We're taking good care of her." She reminded him. "Besides, we'll be keeping her under for a while. Having your feet sutured isn't exactly something a person wants to be awake for."

Chin gave her a knowing nod, then turned to Adam. "You'll be here?" He asked and got a firm nod in reply. "Good. 'Cause I have some ass to go kick."

And with that, Chin turned and began to follow Steve and Danny out, looking back when he heard Adam's voice.

"Chin,... make 'em pay."

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

A/N: Malia starting a CVC = Central Venous Access Catheter (an IV access line in the large jugular vein in the neck)

A/N: According to Season 1 Episode 14, Malia worked at Hawaii Medical Center West. So in my story, since she is still alive, she still does.

A/N: Orthopod = an orthopedist that specializes in the hands

A/N: Adam's house in Hawaii Kai to Hawaii Medical Center West should have taken Adam much longer to get there, so let's go with the idea that his driver dropped him off, not leaving Adam with parking issues which would take more time.

A/N: Again, I'm not a doctor. Consulted some sources, Googled the rest. It's Fan Fiction, so go with it.

A/N: The ass-kicking starts in the next chapter.

A/N: Please leave a review before you go, 'cause my muse still has a lot of typing to do.


	19. Making Them Pay

My character HPD Detective Caroline Walton returns in this chapter.

**"Making Them Pay"**

"It's just that,..." Adam began, as he now stood fully and looked down at Kono's limp and too-thin frame, then back up to Nurse Mahala. "Just... warn a guy next time, okay?" He requested, or rather 'politely insisted', with a heavy exhale as he ran a hand through his jet black hair.

His emotions had gone from elation, to relief, to alarm, and back to relief, faster than any person should have to deal with. He took the half-step necessary to again get as close to her as possible, and went to pick up her slack hand in both of his, then remembered the blisters that covered both of them. He opted instead for one hand near her elbow and the other on her shoulder, desperate for contact, yet not willing to cause her any additional pain. Her sweat-dampened hair lay tangled against the back of his hand has he brushed his thumb against the side of her neck. It was then got a closer look at the CVC inserted in the other side of her neck, the line taped carefully in place to her skin, and the sight of it both made his skin crawl and made him angry. Fortunately he heard Steve talking before he could think to much on that.

"We've gotta join SWAT at the scene, make a plan, and get set up before the perps return." Steve told Danny and Chin.

"You'll be here?" Chin sought to confirm with Adam and got a wordless but firm nod in reply. "Good. 'Cause I have some ass to go kick." And with that, he turned to follow Steve and Danny out, looking back when he heard Adam's voice.

"Chin,... make 'em pay."

Twenty minutes later Danny's Camaro and Chin's motorcycle were parked next to SWAT vehicles, concealed in the empty warehouse down the street from the old abandoned high school.

Shortly after that, the gate was securely re-latched behind the three men, their footprints had even been swept away from the near-black surface of the long drive leading to the school's entrance. Charlie Fong would have been pleased.

While Five-0 and SWAT discussed, reviewed, and reviewed again, tactical advantages and entrance points, HPD Detective Caroline Walton changed into a sleeveless off-white blouse and navy blue shorts. Her usually curly dark brown hair was now more wet than dry, and she pulled the damp locks around her neck and face. Her tan skin now smeared with dirt, her feet shoeless, and her hands were wrapped in dirty strips of dark fabric.

**Over an hour later...**

From his place in the corner of the classroom, Steve looked at his watch, confirming it was nearing 8:00pm, before pulling the long sleeve of his black tee shirt down over it again, effectively shrouding him in darkness. Kono had been able to tell them that the perps had come at about eight each morning and again each evening.

He looked across the large class room to see Chin's dim form in the adjacent corner. Although very dark in the room, he could see him wiping the sweat from his forehead. It was supposed to be cooling down by now, which it had done, but only slightly. The closed up and boarded up building having no ventilation made breathing uncomfortable. He found himself slightly shaking his head at the thought of someone having to breathe in this same stagnant and dusty air for four days. The though mad him angry and he longed to get his hands around the throats of the men that did this to a member of their team,... of his team. They would pay, he would make sure of it.

Chin noticed Steve looking at his watch, which he found amusing. The SEAL reservist could always tell what time it was, no matter where he was. He assumed his fellow Task Force members had the same nervous energy that he felt as well. Looking forward to taking down the men who had abducted and held his cousin for four days in this place.

Chin took note of the darkness. That was the one thing in Hawaii that everyone could count on; the sun rose and set at nearly the same time, every day, year round. He looked around the classroom, what little of it he could see, that is, taking particular note of the boarded up windows and how dark and gloomy it would be in the room, even during the day. His cousin loved the sunshine, particularly sunrise, her favorite time to surf. He wondered how she managed so long in the gloomy place, the very thought making him angry. Full means and immunity were about to be exacted on these perps, they would make sure of it. He would make sure of it.

Danny sat in the dark, behind the desk in what was once the principals office. The closet across the surprisingly small room held two duffel bags, each with a set of clothes the perps had stashed. He would be there primarily to observe, via the night-vision goggles his partner had procured from the trunk of his very own car, their entrance into the room and donning the all-black clothing as they had always done. Every action would be documented, because these men were going down for what they had done to their teammate.

He reached for his water bottle, only to realized it was empty, which made him angry. Not because he was thirsty, but because his teammate had been thirsty. More than just a teammate, Kono was ohana, and although she was one of the toughest women he knew, he still wondered how she had managed for four days on such a limited supply of the life-giving liquid. His mind was quickly flooded with the symptoms of dehydration; a dry throat and mouth were the obvious first signs, but then your eyes become dry and itchy, your heart starts to beats faster, you eventually cease to sweat despite an increase in your body temperature, muscles begin to spasm painfully, skin so dry it loses its elasticity, and then there were the headaches and even confusion.

Danny laid his head back against the desk, took as deep a breath of the dusty air as he dared, and forced himself to stop thinking beyond that. Consoling himself in the fact that they had found her, they had found her in time, and that she was going to be okay. But the men that took her, that was a different story,... they would not be okay. They would pay. He would make sure of it.

At 8:11p.m. SWAT announced a vehicle stopping out on the street, turning off headlights, and two men currently unlocking the gate.

Everyone gave a last-minute audio check-in; Danny in the principals office, Steve and Chin in the classroom Kono had been held in with Detective Caroline Walton now in Kono's place, Duke in the classroom next door, SWAT Leader Lieutenant Diaz two doors down in the gymnasium with his ever-present side-kick Bradley, two more SWAT two more doors down in the locker room, two down the North hall, two SWAT on the roof, and two more outside. Check-ins were complete, they all had their night-vision goggles, and now no one would make a sound until it was time.

The two SWAT on the roof watched as the two perps re-locked the gate, walked the long drive to the school, unlocked the front door and entered.

The two SWAT down the North hall gave a double click into their earbud, silently confirming that the perps had entered and proceeded straight ahead towards the administrative offices.

Seconds later Danny watched them enter the principals office, the tall one taking both duffel bags from their usual place in the closet and both men changed from their regular clothes into the all-black head-to-toe coverings that included gloves, a ski mask, and even goggles. The tall perp took an assault rifle from the bottom of the duffel bag, the shorter took a Baretta 90 semi-automatic hand gun. Of course neither perp aware that the bullets in both had been swapped out for blanks. Then both left the office, Danny giving a double click to indicate so.

The two SWAT down the North hall again gave a double click into their earbud, silently confirming that the perps were now headed down the South hall, as expected, towards the classroom where they were expecting Kono to still be shackled to a pipe. But Tall perp stopped short of that classroom door, taking up a position against the wall where the lockers gaped for another door. Fortunately, Duke was on the other side of that door. This was unexpected, so SWAT gave a very quiet heads-up to Steve and Chin to expect only one perp.

Both Steve and Chin pressed themselves further into the room's dark corners as they felt the adrenaline rush. Short perp unlocked the door and entered. It was all they could do to not rush the situation - well, actually what they wanted to do was just shoot him between the eyes and be done with it - but they wanted all the details they could get and to document everything for prosecution. They watched him walk only half way towards the woman he thought was Kono, then crouch down and slide a key across the floor to her. All of this without saying a word. Okay, so maybe he just expected that Kono would know what to do, after all they'd been doing this routine every morning and every night for four days now.

Meanwhile, Danny had silently crept out of the principal's office and was waiting at the junction to help take down Tall perp.

Also meanwhile, Duke saw the faint dark-on-dark shadow of Tall perp right outside the classroom he was hiding in, and he slowly crept towards the door.

Detective Caroline Walton kept her head turned away from Short perp, not wanting to give anything away until Steve and Chin made their move. Which fortunately, was now.

Both Steve and Chin quickly stood with guns and flashlights pointed at Short perp. "Five-0! Freeze!" Short never stood a chance.

At the sound of the commotion, Tall perp, who was leaning against the door to the classroom next door was about to come and see what was going on. But suddenly Duke jerked the door behind him open, causing Tall to stumble backwards. His downward momentum was assisted by Danny landing on top of him.

Short soon had his arms pinned behind him with a gun in his face, while Tall was on the floor next door looking up at two guns pointed at his face.

A short two minutes later Short and Tall had been stripped of their head-to-toe black apparel, which had been put back in the respective duffel bags and labeled for evidence, and they'd been been given back their regular clothes... well, minus a few items, that is. They were given only a tee shirt and pants to wear. No socks, no shoes, no belts, no watch, no... anything.

Lieutenant Diaz only smirked at the perps when he entered first one classroom, then the other, carrying shackles and handcuffs.

"We'll get these back to you, eventually." Steve said, taking two of the shackles and two of the cuffs from the SWAT leader.

"Take your time." Diaz said before turning to Short with a glare.

**AN HOUR LATER...**

"Chin?" Malia spoke as she approached. "What are you doing back here?" She asked, surprised to see her husband in the ER again so soon.

Chin gave his wife a hug before answering, "The perps that abducted Kono sustained some injuries in the take-down."

"Are you okay?" She asked her husband with concern as she looked him up and down for obvious injuries.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He assured her, being careful to not reveal his scuffed knuckles.

"Max and Fong left a little while ago." Malia informed. "Fong said to tell you that he was taking the evidence back to the lab to begin processing." She added as Steve and Danny approached.

"They'll be ready in just a few more minutes." Steve informed Chin.

"Yeah, we uh, we made sure Dr. Jacobs knew that they were the two that had abducted Kono." Danny said, a please smirk on his face, as he really was pleased that it had been the same doctor that had taken care of Kono.

"The podiatrist is with Kono now, suturing her feet, so I'm gonna go back in there and see if she needs any help." Malia said to excuse herself from the group.

"We're gonna stick around until the perps are release, so we can take the them to interrogation." Chin informed his wife as she started to turn away.

"So, you're gonna be home very late?" She assumed, turning back towards them.

"No. Not at all." He assured her. "We're just going to drop them off for now, we'll finish interrogating them later."

All three men just smiled as she walked away. There was no need telling her, or anyone else for that matter, that they had already completed their interrogation of Short and Tall while still at the scene.

"I can tell from examining Mr. Poole that the bruises on his jaw are old enough that Officer Kalakaua probably caused them." Dr. Jacobs said, as she approached the men from behind, causing them to turn towards her.

"That's our Kono." Steve said with confidence and pride.

Jacobs wouldn't let on how conflicted she was internally, but truth be told she had no doubt - despite her current condition - that her patient in TR5 could not only hold her own, but do quite a bit of physical damage, as evident in her more recent patients.

"But his current injuries- " Jacobs decided to continue. "Include a broken nose, a dislocated elbow, and a busted knee cap." She said, reading from the chart in her hand.

"And Johansen?" Danny inquired.

"Mr. Johansen's bruised ribs are also old enough to have been from his encounter with Officer Kalakaua." She began, noting another pleased look on the commander's face. "His current injuries also include a broken nose, plus a knocked out tooth, and a separated shoulder."

"So, in other words, they're both good to go." Steve sought to confirm, with arms crossed over his chest as he rocked back on his heels.

"One knee brace, one arm sling, and two ice packs, to go." Jacobs said before walking away to release the perps... er, 'patients', she corrected herself. But had she remembered to mention the scratch down the back of Poole's throat? Perhaps not. Hmm, come to think of it, she may have even forgotten to make a note of that in his chart. She'd have to double-check on that. If she remembered.

While they waited, the guys found themselves a short distance down the hall, once again outside of TR5's observation window. Kono was now face-down on the table, and obviously oblivious of the sutures being put in the bottom of her feet. Adam sat next to her, one hand stroking her now dry but matted hair, the other pocketing his phone as he looked up at the window and gave a slight nod.

"Be sure to get some antiseptic on those knuckles, Lieutenant Kelly." Dr. Jacobs said when she returned, then gave him a serious look. "I don't want Dr. Kelly thinking I didn't offer you sound medical advice."

Chin looked sheepishly down at his hands. "I will." Was all he said as he looked back up at her.

"That goes for you too, Detective Williams." She added, getting only a wordless nod of affirmation before she gestured down the hallway to where both perps sat cuffed in wheelchairs. "Your prisoners, gentlemen."

As they escorted the two orderlies who pushed the two wheelchairs out to the SWAT van that Five-0 had borrowed for transport, Danny reminded himself that he needed to take some lessons in 'creativity' from Super SEAL, namely; Twenty-two ways to use a piece of chalk against a combatant.

Yeah, that would work. Then next time he wouldn't have bruised knuckles, either.

"Hey!" Johansen shouted, again, from the confinement that was the back of the SWAT van. "Where are you taking us?!" He demanded, as he kicked the wall.

He and Poole both looked at each other in confusion and concern. They knew Honolulu well. Very, very well, given their line of work. And although they were in the back of the van, unable to see outside, they could tell the van not left the hospital in the correct direction to be headed towards downtown Honolulu. No, they were not headed towards the police station, where they were to go for booking.

"Hey!" Johansen yelled, again, kicking the interior wall, again. This got him no response from the three men transporting them.

Steve grinned from behind the wheel, as he continued to drive away from downtown Honolulu, as Danny adjusted the volume on the radio to drown out the annoying noises coming from the back of the van, and Chin rolled down his window to let in more of the cool night air.

If Poole and Johansen thought they were done paying for what they had done to Kono,... they were wrong.

Very, very wrong.

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

Where are the guys taking Poole and Johansen?  
Who are Poole and Johansen, and why did they take Kono?  
You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out.


	20. 3 Days, 21 Hours, 4 Minutes

_First off; my apologies for the delay in posting. Although my muse has been eager to type, having a twisted vertebrae is not conducive to sitting for more than 5 minutes. So thank you all for your patience._

_I'm sure you have questions; Who took Kono? Why? They will be answered in this chapter._

_In an S2 episode, Chin makes a comment to Kono about walking her down the aisle some day. To me this implies that Kono's father is deceased otherwise Mr. Kalakaua would be the one to walk his daughter down the aisle. Anyway, I had forgotten that scene when including a mention of him in a previous chapter. He's back in this one._

_LilAzianPride gets a 'Thank you!' for the Korean translation in this chapter._

**"3 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes"**

Very early Tuesday morning, 12:23am...

The first thing Kono noticed was the lack of pain, which surprised her. Her hands, her feet, her ankles, her wrists, even her back. There was simply a lack of pain. It was, to say the least, a pleasant surprise, as it was usually the first thing she felt every time she woke up.

Sound was usually the second thing she noticed, or lack thereof, in most cases, unless the birds nesting outside the boarded up window were present. But this time there was more sound than usual, but it was... different.

When she finally managed to open her eyes, she saw why. The sounds were not from near her, but from out in the hall, outside her room. Her room in a hospital, not in the old high school where she had been kept for four days. She signed in relief and relaxed tense muscles as the memory of having been rescued returned to her.

Kono glanced at the bandages around her elevated ankles and feet, then up to see an IV pole and realized why she felt no pain. Her head lulled to the left where she saw her cousin's head resting on the mattress next to her hand, his black hair in sharp contrast to the white bandages. Beyond him was Steve, slouched down in a chair in front of the observation window. She looked to her right to see Adam in almost a mirror image of Chin, and noticed a bandage on his arm. She would have to remember to ask him about that later. Behind him was Danny, awkwardly curled up on the cushion of the built-in window seat.

No, there would be no sounds from her room, as the four men within it's walls were all sound asleep. Kono joined them in slumber, once again.

Later Tuesday morning, 8:15am...

The balloons were blue and tied with blue ribbons to the handle of a basket that held a teddy bear with a blue bow around his neck.

"Do we get to bring him home today, Daddy?" The adorable three year old asked as she looked up at her father with big brown eyes peeking out from under brunette bangs.

He smiled down at his little girl and gave her a nod of confirmation along with a mumbled, "Mhmm."

"Can I hold him?" She asked as her lavender sun dress swayed with her twisting movements.

"As long as Mommy or I are with you." He promised.

"Can I feed him?" She was obviously on a role getting what she wanted.

"Well,... right now no one but Mommy can feed him." Her father explained. "But you can help feed him when he gets older." He assured his little girl who wanted to be so grown up and be a helper.

"Like Ko-Ko?" She wondered, reaching to pat the bear's head, again.

He nodded again, "That's right, Sweetie. When he's big enough to sit in a high chair like your Cousin Koa, then you can help feed him."

The elevator doors opened then, and the father took his little girls small hand in his and they exited on the maternity floor, blue balloons bouncing on the ceiling as they went.

"At least some people get to come to the hospital for happy reasons." Steve said to Danny as the elevator doors closed and they resumed towards the fourth floor where Catherine was waiting for them.

Danny was lost in thought, remembering Grace - with similar big brown eyes and brunette bangs - being that young and wanting a baby sister at one point.

Fifteen minutes later, although Catherine was dressed and ready to go, it was obvious that her doctor was not yet finished with her discharge papers. "Steve, why don't you two go back to Kono's room. I'll be down to join you soon."

Soon they were once again stood outside Trauma Room 5, looking at their team member through the observation window. Their profile view of her revealed that she was too thin, way too thin. The hospital bed adjusted so her legs were elevated from the knees down, her ankles and feet were bandaged similarly to her wrists and hands, and peeked out beneath the sheet she was covered with.

The guys re-entered and walked towards the bed quietly, pleasantly surprised that she was still asleep. She had been through so much, and needed rest so she could heal.

Steve had hoped to get the window seat this time. Although it was too narrow for him to stretch out on, it would definitely be more comfortable than the hard plastic chair had been. But it was taken, as Adam had relocated from his own hard plastic chair at Kono's bedside. On his back with his knees pulled up, he looked to be sleeping in only a slightly more comfortable position than before.

Danny strode over to the bed, noticing the bruises Kono still bore on her face and forearms from her fight in the garage four days prior. He noted their yellow shading, as part of the healing process, and suppressed his anger at thinking about what she had been through. He gently reached a hand to move a lock of hair off her face.

"No!" Kono's sudden response startled both Danny and Steve, as she pulled her knees up and both forearms came together between herself and the man leaning over her.

"Easy, Kono." Danny soothed, as soon as he could manage to breathe steady again. "It's just me."

"You're safe now, Kono." Steve assured her as he approached on the other side of the bed, coming to stand behind the chair Chin still slept in.

Kono took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. "Sorry." She mumbled as her arms slowly lowered.

Steve took note that with her wrists and ankles together like that, it would nearly mimic the position she had been in while chained up.

"No need to be sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Danny assured her.

"I can't believe you didn't wake Chin up." Steve observed as he side-stepped around the chair in front of him to hand her a cup of water.

"Consider yourself lucky." Came Adam's sleepy voice from behind where Danny still stood. They turned to see him stretching his legs, "At least if he's asleep, he can't laugh at you." He added as he stood and approached.

"She do that?" Danny asked with a slight smirk, referring to the red mark across Adam's cheek.

Adam nodded. "Apparently I startled her, too." He said, rolling his shoulders to get the kinks out. "Trust me, I won't make that mistake again."

"Sorry." Kono mumbled again, as she sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling.

"Hey," Danny began, trying to get her attention, "Wha'd I say? No need to be sorry about anything."

Kono conceded with a silently nod as she reached for the bed controls. Although the raised foot of the bed helped with the slight swelling in her ankles, she'd had enough of the prone position for now. Although a definite improvement over the almost-laying-down-but-not-quite position she was forced into previously, she was still ready to be upright. And the simple fact that she could be, was a very good thing to her.

"Here, let me do that." Steve said as he interrupted the path of her hand to pushed the button that raised the head of the bed. Her finger tips, although not sutured or bandaged, were still covered with multiple small cuts.

A nod was accompanied by a slight wave of the hand for Steve to stop the bed's upward momentum. "I'd been waiting." She said quietly.

"Waiting? Waiting for what? Waiting for who?" Danny rambled off, hand gestures included, of course.

"For them to come." Kono began, looking at each of them in turn, and realizing that Chin was now awake and looking back at her. "They came, every morning and every night,.. and I waited. Hopeing that once, just once, one of them would get close enough." She paused with eyes closed, as if re-living it all again.

The men all remained silent and gave her time to continue when she was ready.

"The strips of fabric," She paused again, to see if they knew what she was referring to, and although it was apparent they did, she decided to back her story up a little. "I ripped the fabric off from bottom half of my pant legs, then tore it into strips. I used them to wrap around the pipe fittings when I worked on getting them loose."

"Smart thinking, Cuz." Chin admonished.

Kono gave a slight smile in return, appreciating his obvious attempt at encouragement. "Some of them I used to wrap around my wrists and ankles,... but my original intent,... was to use them as a weapon."

That got the guys' attention even more.

"That's what I'd been waiting for; opportunity." She said, as the men all nodded. Well, Chin, Danny, and Steve were nodding in understanding, but Adam, not so much. "There were two of them. Although there were three at the garage, I only saw two after that. When they came every morning and every night, only the short one would come into the classroom, but he would always stop half way, then slide the cuff key across the floor."

"He never got close enough to you." Steve stated, sure in his assumption.

Kono nodded to confirm. "He was always dressed to cover himself completely; long sleeves, mask, gloves, even ski goggles so I couldn't see his eyes, not even the color of his skin. He never even spoke to me, not one word the entire time. I had absolutely no way of identifying him."

"Smart man. Covered his tracks well." Danny said, remembering the two men changing into those very outfits in the Principal's office.

"What about an opportunity in the hallway?" Steve asked with a glance towards Chin, knowing that they were both picturing the bloody footprints that had lead to and from the locker room.

After a long pause Kono finally continued, "The key was only for the cuffs that secured the shackle's chain to the pipe. The shackles always stayed on." Adam stepped closer and gently took her bandaged hand. It was then that she realized she had been rubbing her other wrist, as if the shackles were still on her that very moment. She took a drink of water then continued to answer Steve's question. "We walked down the hall to the locker room, but he always stayed far behind me, always had the gun pointed at me, and although I couldn't see him, I knew the tall one was there, too."

"How'd you know that?" Adam asked, still gently holding her hand.

"When leaving the classroom, we turned left, but if I looked right I could see the end of a gun barrel. It was obvious that someone was down there lurking back in one of the doorways."

"So you never got a chance." Danny surmised.

Kono shook her head in the negative, "Never. They left me in the locker room - where I had about 4 minutes to stand under the water and drink water at the same time - then it was the same exact scenario on the way back to the classroom. That pattern repeated about every twelve hours until today,... uh, yesterday,... uh, what day is it exactly?"

"It's Tuesday." Steve supplied.

"Which Tuesday?" Kono asked in only semi-moch exaggeration. "It felt like I was there for-e-ver." She added, drawing out her words as she laid her head back with a forearm across her eyes.

"It was a very long four days." Chin said, still feeling very tired despite having slept some. Kono gave him a sad smile, focusing now more on what the men in her life had gone through while she was gone, knowing they would have done anything and everything to get her back.

"Three days. Twenty-one hours. Four minutes." Adam clarified, before reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "A very, very ... long ... three days, twenty-one hours, and four minutes."

She reached to run a hand through her hair, suddenly and unpleasantly reminded of her bandages. She suddenly felt self-conscious. "Oh, great. I've got morning breath, BO, and bed head,... times 4. Just, great."

"Something tells me that's gonna take more than a 3 minute shower." Danny said with a sideways glace towards Steve, who just rolled his eyes.

"Then how about we get you moved to a private room, where you have your own bathroom with a shower?" Malia asked as she opened the door to enter.

"I'd rather go home." Was Kono's response.

"Pfft, no way." "Absolutely not." "You're not ready." and "You've been hanging around Steve too much." was all heard at once. The four men in the room talking over the top of each other.

"It seems that your entourage would disagree with you, Kono." Malia stated as she approached and set a bag on the small rolling table, then came to stand behind her husband's chair, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Besides, Dr. Jacobs is not yet pleased with your hydration levels, your potassium levels are still too low, you need to finish your first dose of IV antibiotics, not to mention you haven't been able to keep down anything besides small amounts of protein drink." Malia finished by crossing her arms over her chest. "And as a doctor, I agree with all of the above."

Dr. Kukana Jacobs and ER Nurse Mahala both entered at that moment. "So, this is where the party's at." Jacobs said cheerfully at seeing the group gathered in the room. She always did like it when her patients came out of whatever situations that brought them to the ER able to land on their feet. Although, in Kono's case, that really was just an expression.

"Sorry for the crowd, doc. We just needed to get some information from your patient." Steve said.

"Well, in that case, I'm glad Officer Kalakaua's potassium level is at least high enough to allow her to answer your questions, Commander." Jacobs said before glancing at the chart in her hand, as Mahala deflated a blood pressure cuff. Jacobs noticed Kono eyeing her oddly, as if looking for something. "What?"

"Oh, just wondering where my pizza is." Kono answered with a smirk while noticing Danny's grimace in her peripheral vision.

"BP is up to 113/68, pulse and respiratory rates are both down to normal range." Mahala said as she typed the results into the tablet she carried.

"Much better." Jacobs announced as she came closer to the bed and Adam stepped back to make room for her. "I will bring you the pizza, a very large ham & pineapple, as promised, in due time, Officer Kalakaua.  
For right now, I've ordered you a room instead. It will be ready for you shortly. Once you're there, a nurse will remove your bandages and cap off the CVC line in your neck, long enough for you to shower and get cleaned up. Then I'll come up and re-wrap everything but your feet. Dr. Patterson, the podiatrist that was here last night, will be in again to see if he can successfully remove any more of the ceramic shards."

"Wait-" Danny inserted. "There's more of them, still in her feet?"

"That is correct, Detective Williams. Dr. Patterson used imaging to confirm that there are still three ceramic shards embedded near the heel of her right foot where the largest laceration is." Jacobs informed.

"Why?" Was Chin's simple question.

"Because, although one is significantly larger than the other two, all are very fragile and would most likely fracture into smaller shards if he had tried to remove them. Which would have only resulted in additional problems." Jacobs answered.

"So-?" Kono left the question hanging.

"So, we wait." Jacobs answered. "We give it time. The shards will naturally migrate out on their own, and will be removed when they are close enough to the dermis layer."

"That means you are definitely not going home yet." Adam said as he pocketed his cell phone.

"And if it's any consolation; I swung by your house and brought you some comfortable clothes." Malia offered, gesturing to the bag she had entered with.

Kono took a deep breath, consoling herself to what would happen vs. what she wanted. "Thanks, Malia." She said, deciding to look at the proverbial glass as half-full. "As one of my Aunties always says; 'Salvation is the only thing in life that is truly 'one size fits all', everything else in life should come sized'." She added, gesturing to the pale grey hospital gown that hung limply over her too-thin frame.

A few minutes later...

Jacbos and Mahala had left, and Adam and Malia were talking out in the hall, while Steve, Danny, and Chin needed to get some more information from Kono.

"So, I've gotta ask, what were you going to do with the strips of fabric, had either perp gotten close enough?" Steve had to ask. He had a good assumption, but he just had to ask.

"Wrap it around his neck." Kono simply stated.

"Wrap i-... wow." Danny mumbled, impressed.

"That's very,-" Chin paused, looking for the correct word to use.

"Fortuitous." Steve supplied. "Prepared for any contingency."

"Yeah. For all the good it did me." Kono said in obvious frustration. "Okay, so, now that everyone else is out of the room,... who did this to me?"

"The one you referred to as the 'short perp', and still sports a bruise on his jaw from your kick in the garage, is Jacob Poole." Chin said.

"And the one you referred to as the 'tall perp', and still sports bruised ribs from your roundhouse kick, is Ben Johansen." Danny said.

"Poole is the brother of Elias Poole. Johansen is their cousin." Steve added as he rocked back on his heels, knowing the name drop would clarify things.

"Elias Poole." Kono repeated, eyes going wide. "As in-"

"As in the guy who owned Poole Plumbing. The guy who killed one of his employees when said employee caught him cheating on contracts. The guy who then buried his employees dead body in cement. As in the guy who was going down for murder, based on your testimony. As in the guy you were giving a deposition against." Danny confirmed, and boy oh boy, did he have the hand motions going with this one.

Despite Kono's amusement at Danny's hand motions, something she had greatly missed, she was still stunned silent before speaking. "Holy frak."

"Yeah, 'short' and 'tall' obviously chose wisely when deciding to work in the family plumbing business. Because lawyers they could have never been, since they obviously didn't know that a deposition is only to be used at a later trial date." Danny just had to rant some more.

"Yeah. They thought that if you weren't at the court house the next day to finish giving your deposition, that Elias Poole would walk." Steve said.

"That is so,..." Kono could even find the right word, she was so frustrated and angry.

"Stupid. Idiotic. Inane. Ludicrous. Moronic. Obtuse." Danny supplied.

Steve gave him a sideways glace at that last one.

"What?" Danny shrugged. "I was running out of adjectives."

Her head hung down as she shook it and sighed heavily. "So, in other words, they kidnapped me for... nothing."

After several moments of silence - after all, what could the guys say to that, but to agree with her - Steve finally spoke up, "Hey," He began, with a hand on her shoulder, "The important thing is that we got you back."

"So, how long were they planning on leaving me there?" Kono asked.

The guys didn't want to answer that question. They really, really didn't.

"Guys?" Kono prodded.

Meanwhile...

"= 코노의 부모님 만나는거 반갑슴니다." (It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Kalakaua.) Adam greeted with a slight bow. Malia had introduced him to Kono's parents and her brother Kai.

They had sat for quite a while talking before Malia had to get to her office. "Please tell Kono that I'll be by later to see her." She said before leaving.

After her departure, Adam sat quietly next to Mr. and Mrs. Kalakaua for several minutes, as Kai wondered to the far end of the seating area to browse the magazine selection. Adam and Kono had talked about his meeting her family soon, but this sure wasn't what they had in mind.

Adam noted that Kono must have gotten her height from her father, as her mother was a very petite woman. Although the women definitely shared facial features. And when the elder of those two moved to talk to her son, Adam took the opportunity to broach a delicate subject.

"Mr. Kalakaua, I, uh," Adam began to approach the delicate subject. "Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I mean, obviously I overstepped my bounds after Kono went missing and a ransom demand was presumed. I certainly never meant to imply that you couldn't have taken care of the situation, it's just that the only thing I could think about was getting her back, so I just-"

"I appreciate your candor, Mr. Noshimuri." Mr. Kalakaua interrupted. "What is done, is done. Right now, the only thing that matters is that we have her back and that she is safe."

With an agreeing nod, Adam said, "Thank you, sir." He had not wanted to offend her father.

Back inside TR5...

"So, how long were they planning on leaving me there?" Kono asked.

The guys didn't want to answer that question. They really, really didn't.

"Guys?" Kono prodded.

"Well, you see-" "It's like this-" "Well, they kinda-" The three mumbled.

"Seriously?" Kono said, attempting to cross her arms, then thinking better of it due to the bulky bandages. "Do I need to hitch a ride to HQ and interrogate them myself?"

The guys gave shared sideways glances. They couldn't let Kono find out.

Flashback...

Danny turned off the radio, and Chin rolled up the window, as Steve pulled the van up next to the warehouse and turned off the engine.

A short sixty seconds later they had shoved Poole right through the Crime Scene tape, forced him up the stairs, and Steve had him hanging upside down from the catwalk - just like he had done to Richard Thurner previously - and Poole was singing like a bird. Well, maybe a one-armed strangled pigeon would be more accurate. Despite Poole's dislocated elbow, he still managed to semi-flap in tandem with his good arm as he took in the view far below him. His broke nose made his monotone voice sound like a deep skwak between his panicked gasps for air and trying not to piss off the already pissed off SEAL that was being none too gentle with his busted knee cap.

Twelve minutes later Johansen was shoved passed that same Crime Scene tape, pushed up the same stairs, and yes, Steve had him hanging upside down from the catwalk. Hey, it worked once, so let's see if this pigeon has a different tune. Well, they didn't know about singing yet, but so far Johansen's arm sling had floated to the warehouse floor far below and he was doing a frantic one-arm flap. But it didn't take long for him to sing as well, although with a knocked out tooth in addition to the broken nose, he sounded like a strangled pigeon that whistled occasionally.

"Shackles secured?"

"Check."

"Cuffs secured?"

"Check."

"Gatorade supply?"

"Check"

"That's it. We're done. Short list." Steve said as he turned to walk away.

"Make it last." Chin said before also turning to walk away, referring to the Gatorade supply Poole had been given.

"Oh, you uh, might wanna keep those empty bottles." Danny suggested as he also turned to walk away.

This scenario and conversation repeated a few minutes later in the adjoining warehouse with Johansen.

The concept was very simple, really. Kono had spent 4 days shackled and cuffed to a pipe, so Poole and Johansen would spend 4 days shackled and cuffed to a pipe. Kono had been allowed access to water twice a day, so Poole and Johansen had been provided with 8 bottles of Gatorade, which worked out to two per day, if they were wise enough to ration them, but hey, that was up to them, as the guys would not be returning until the time was up. Kono had been alone, so Poole and Johansen had been separated, one in each adjoining warehouse. How convenient that Adam just happened to own one of those that was currently off limits as a crime scene. Very convenient, indeed.

Of course Chin had made sure the in-warehouse surveillance cameras were working, just in case anything happened they needed to be aware of. But otherwise, they would return in 4 days. Poole and Johansen were going to experience first hand what they had put Kono through.

An eye for an eye, as it were.

And Kono definitely could not find out. Not ever.  
(end flashback)

"Guys,... do I need to interrogate them myself?" Kono repeated.

"Uh, no. No, no, no, that won't be necessary." Danny insisted.

"Well then?" Kono urged. "How long were they planning on leaving me there?" She repeated her original question, unsure why they hadn't answered her.

"They uh," Steve paused, not really wanting to answer her question. "Because they were the plumbers contracted to the job site, they knew the building was due for an inspection next week. So they planned on the City Building Inspector finding you." He said very quickly, as if it sounded less terrible than it really was if he just got it over with.

"Next week?!" Kono exploded.

"Uh, yeah." Chin chimed in. "They thought that as long as you had water you'd be okay."

Kono was speechless at those words.

"Apparently Tall and Short - a.k.a. Dumb and Dumber - would not only have made terrible lawyers, but they wouldn't have done so well in the medical profession, either. They believed what they read on the internet; that a person can go up to 3 weeks without food. So as long as you had water,... uh, ... yeah." Danny mumbled on, hands stuffed in his pockets, because he was too angry for hand motions at the moment.

Nurse Mahala entered at that moment. "Excuse me, Gentlemen, but we're about ready to move Officer Kalakau to a private room."

"Good. It's about time I finally get out of this bed." Kono assumed.

"No." "No." "No." and "No." Was the simultaneous and unanimous response from everyone in the room.

Kono looked at them all in surprise, yet trying not to laugh as it sounded like a four-way echo in the room. "O-kay." She drew out. "But I do need a way to get from point-A to point-B."

"Yes, you do, Officer Kalakaua." Mahala agreed. "But we will be moving you, bed and all."

"Seriously?" Kono whined. "I can walk, ya know."

"No." "No." "No." and "No." Came the repeated responses.

"Again. Seriously?" She said, but only half in amusement this time.

"Not on those bandaged feet, you don't. One of which still has shards embedded in it." Mahala explained. "Not even on crutches, not with those bandaged hands of yours."

"No. No, no, no." Came another insistent whine from Kono, realizing that she now sounded like those in the room had. "Then how am I supposed to get around?" Came her reasonable question.

"In a wheelchair." Came the answer she dreaded hearing.

"In a wh-" Kono paused. "I can't maneuver a wheelchair in my small house." She exclaimed.

"Then I suggest you start making arrangements for other accommodations, Officer Kalakaua." Mahala suggested.

"That's already being taken care of." Came Adam's statement from the doorway.

Kono gave a quizzical look at him at those words, but a muscle spasm in her neck hit before she spoke.

"You okay?" Danny asked, at seeing the pained expression on her face.

"You, uh,... you remember that 'Hoboken, Halloween, 02' story you were gonna tell me some day?" She asked as the pain began to subside.

"Yeah." Danny answered.

"Don't bother." She said, stretching her neck.

"Commander?" Came Adam's voice from the doorway, getting Steve's attention. "The Governor has just arrived. He is speaking with Mr. and Mrs. Kalakaua, and was hoping you could join them to discuss media coverage and a possible news conference now that Kono has been found."

"Yeah, okay." Steve said running his thumb nail across his brow as he gave Chin and Danny a look. With Poole and Johansen 'unavailable' for the next four days, they needed to stall on a press conference.

"Steve," Kono spoke, getting his attention as he was about to leave the room. "Keep those news goons away from me and my family."

He gave her a nod of understanding before wordlessly leaving the room, Chin and Danny right behind him.

"I hear you're getting moved to a room." Adam said as he watched Nurse Mahala leave the room, then approached the bed.

"Mhmm." She mumbled tiredly as her head sank back into the pillow. "One with a shower in it." She sighed heavily, the idea of a shower foremost on her mind.

"Then you're gonna need this." Adam said, holding up a basket. "I had Lili bring some things from your bathroom." He explained as he lowered the basket onto her lap.

Kono surveyed the assortment of products; shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush. Everything a woman who has gone four days without seeing any of these products wants.

"Well,... that was, very nice of Lili. But, um, am I going to have to arrest her on a B&E charage?" Kono asked hesitantly.

Adam furrowed a brow and gave her a half-concerned half-quizzical look.

"I'm not sure who's bathroom she took these from, but they didn't come from mine." She explained, gesturing to the basket full of very expensive salon and spa quality products that were definitely out of her budget.

"Oh," Adam began, now understanding what she meant. "I didn't mean your bathroom at your house. I meant your bathroom at my house."

That explanation clearly didn't help much.

"Um, Adam,... I don't have a bathroom at your house." She said.

Adam couldn't help but smile at this point. "Well, actually, you do. You just haven't seen it yet. You see, before all of this mess started, back before I left for Japan, I told Lili that I wanted the spare bathroom set up for you."

"You did?"

"Mhmm. As you know, the master bedroom has his and hers bathrooms. But since my mother left all those years ago..."

"It's been his and his." Kono supplied, since his father could use either one.

"Well, more like 'his' and 'unused', actually." Adam clarified. "Anyway, I wanted you to feel more at home in my home, and it made sense. No need for you to keep going out to your car to get things from your 'go bag' or needing to go home before work. So, Lili didn't have far to go to get your things."

Kono's nod was accompanied by a smile. "Thanks." Was all she could think of to say.

"It's time to go, Officer Kalakaua." Mahala said as she re-entered the room and proceeded to remove the blood pressure cuff from her arm. "This is Jake, he's going to transfer you now." She added, gesturing to the orderly who had followed her into TR5.

After unlocking the bed's wheels, Jake pushed it through the wide doorway and out into the hall to head for the staff elevator.

"Kono!" Came Mrs. Kalakaua's immediate response at seeing her daughter as she rushed over.

It took Kono and Mahala both several minutes of assuring to convince her parents that she would be alright.

"You were in with you team when we arrived, so we didn't want to interrupt." Mr. Kalakaua said to explain why there had not yet entered her room. "Then Governor Denning arrived and wanted to speak with us and Commander McGarrett."

Meanwhile, Steve had finally managed to convince Governor Denning that now was not the right time to hold a press conference as they would need more time to 'interrogate' the suspects. He also needed to head back upstairs to get Catherine, who was now actually released. They would make a brief stop at Kono's new room before heading home.

Danny and Chin also were headed for their homes. They all needed a shower, food, and a little more sleep.

Kono's parents and Adam would be accompanying her to her room upstairs and began following Jake down the hall towards the staff elevator that was large enough for Kono's bed.

Adam paused at noticing Chin's gesture to him. "I just wanted to thank you, Adam,... for what you said to my uncle." Chin said in a low voice as everyone else began leaving the area.

It had been bitter-sweet early on, when it became apparent that no ransom demand would be made to get Kono back. Chin knew his aunt and uncle could have never afforded to pay a ransom for their only daughter's return.

Chin having used his first name did not go unnoticed by Adam. He nodded in understanding. "Well, he was right, Lieutenant; all that matters is that we have her back."

"Call me Chin." Chin requested, extending his hand.

Another nod, this time accompanied by a smile. It felt good to finally be on her cousin's good side. "Okay." Was his simple reply as he also extended his hand.

"See ya tomorrow." Chin said as he turned to leave.

"Um,... Chin?" Adam said, causing the other man to turn back towards him. "Does this mean you will un-clone my phone now?"

Chin laughed slightly to himself. Busted. "Yeah. Sure."

Upstairs...

Kono's bandages had been removed, a 22 minutes shower had been taken, her wounds had been photographed for evidence before being re-bandaged, except for her feet. She was now back in her bed, her feet again elevated, and in the more comfortable lounge-wear that Malia had picked up for her.

"Ah, there you are, sista." Came the booming voice of Kamekona as he entered. A silver mylar balloon floated above the yellow sack he carried. "I brought you a sample of my new creation. Figured you'd need to eat, 'cause these hospitals serve very small portions, you know."

"Shrimp?" Kai asked, guessing by the smell.

"Has healing powers." Kamekona assured the young man. "Had to wait until she was in a room. They don't let you bring food into the ER. My cousin Flippa found that out the hard way; had to wait three whole hours while they set his wrist, before he could eat."

Everyone in the room stifled a laugh, except Kono, as she was looking a little green.

"Excuse me." Said the nurse's voice from the doorway. "But Officer Kakalaua will be on a soft-food diet to start with." She said, eyeing the sack. She had simply followed the smell from the nurse's station.

"Oh." Was Kamekona's only response as he handed the sack to Kai, who took it without hesitation.

"In fact, I'll be ordering you a lunch tray for later." The nurse informed Kono. "You'll need to start with something simple, like jello."

Kono made a face, "Oh, great,... an appetizer that wiggles."

Kamekona did not stay long, as he assured everyone that he had a great new recipe that he was working on. Kono's parents and brother had left shortly after the big Hawaiian.

Kono was glad for the sudden peace and quiet, and to finally be alone with Adam. "So, how did it happen?" She asked, gesturing to Adam's upper right bicep, where the bandage showed below his shirt.

"A lot has happened during the three days, twenty-one hours, and four minutes you were gone."

"Tell me."

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

_* The idea of Kono using the strips of fabric as a weapon came from PoisonedShip. I thought it was a great idea and the credit goes to her._

_* Anyone catch my 'frak' insert from BSG? In the original 1978 show, 'frak' was not considered a swear word, but more like 'darn', as said by Apolo's step-son, Boxey._

_* Anyone else notice how Steve rubs his thumb nail across his brown when he's concentrating? He does that a lot._

_* Hoboken/Halloween/2002 came from S1 E13 when the Yakuza breaks into Steve's house and they take him down with a stun gun._

_* Timeline recap; Kono was abducted at 6:45pm on Thursday - and Steve gets the call 3 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes later - at 3:49pm on Monday._

_* Anyone have a suggestion for naming one of Steve's 'faces'? He's made some new ones during this story, Danny and I need help naming them. Let me know if you have a suggestion._

_* Next chapter: Kono leaves the hospital. But, there's that thing about the wheelchair not working in her house, and Adam having other ideas._


	21. Mahalo Nui Loa

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

Blame my boss! Yes, the delay in posting this chapter is his fault. He decided I should be the one to cover for 2 co-workers taking vacations. Hence this chapter -which I had promised myself would get posted much sooner - being 2 weeks late. So, yeah, blame him.

Special Agent Thomas is back in this chapter.

Didn't mean to, but I kinda boxed myself into a corner on the dates of the events in this story. That is based solely on Adam giving Kono the hair clip as an early Valentine's gift, which caused Danny to remind him that Valentine's Day is 'next week'. So, if you keep things true to the calendar, that means this chapter takes place on Tuesday, Feb 12th and Wednesday, Feb. 13th.

**"Mahalo Nui Loa"**

Kono was glad for the sudden peace and quiet, and to finally be alone with Adam. "So, how did it happen?" She asked, gesturing to Adam's upper right bicep, where the bandage showed below his shirt.

"A lot happened during the three days, twenty-one hours, and four minutes you were gone."

"Tell me."

**Late Tuesday afternoon...**

Even before opening her eyes, Kono noticed the pleasant lack of pain. Then she listened for the birds outside the window. Then, a moment of deja vu, followed by sighed of relief at the memory of having been rescued. She wondered how many times she would wake up this way.

The antibiotics were making her tired, or maybe it was the pain meds, or... oh yes, it was probably the muscle relaxants that helped with the muscle spasms in her neck and back. Or, perhaps it was just her body needing to heal and the fact that she had not slept well while being shackled and cuffed to a metal pipe for three nights, or any of the three days, twenty-one hours, and four minutes - as Adam had phrased it - that she had been gone.

Although she was glad to be sleeping well - or sleeping at all, given the alternative - she was not glad that she kept dozing off. All these cat-naps she had taken throughout the day meant waking up the same way, every single time.

Kono finally opened her yes, glancing at the bandages around her hands and the secondary IV line above her bandaged wrists, then at the foot of the bed where her bandaged ankles and feet were still elevated due to swelling. Yep, definitely still in the hospital.

At least she had the comfortable shorts and t-shirt Malia had brought her, which were much better than a hospital gown.

Her gaze looked beyond, to where Adam was himself napping in a chair at the foot of her bed, the muted tv he had been watching still on. She noted the bruise on his left temple from where he had startled her previously and she had nailed him good. She felt bad and looked forward to whenever it would be that such things as being startled wouldn't garner such a response.

There was such a large bouquet of roses in the window sill, she was surprised she hadn't smelled them right away.

She was reaching for the button to raise the head of the bed when a muscle spasm wracked her neck and she cursed the two idiots who had used a stun gun on her. Or maybe she was actually cursing out loud, because suddenly Adam was awake and at her side.

"Easy, Kono." He soothed as the spasm slowly faded.

"Sorry I woke you." She eventually managed to say as she forced her muscles to relax and laid her head back into the pillow, then noticed she didn't have his full attention.

Adam found himself staring at the CVC line still in her neck. It didn't make sense to take it out only to relocate it somewhere else, so in it would stay until it had served its purpose.

"It'll be removed soon." Kono said, causing Adam to sheepishly look away.

"You hungry?" He asked to divert her attention, as he dug a hand into his pocket.

"Surprisingly,... no." Kono answered. The nausea was no longer a problem, but she was still on soft foods for the rest of the day.

"You need to get your strength back, Kono." He responded worriedly and popped a mint into his mouth. "What?" He asked at her smirk. "You're not the only one with morning breath, BO, and bed head, ya know." He said, causing her to laugh.

Then she wasn't laughing any more. "Turn the tv up, please." She requested with a hand gesture in the object's general direction.

Adam turned the volume up on the tv in time to hear a reporter talk about a Five-0 take-down that had happened just an hour earlier. They both sat in silence, watching the previously-recorded footage of Steve, Danny, and Chin exit a building in full tactical gear.

Adam muted the tv again before speaking. "You'll be back out there with them in no time, Kono."

"Who are they from?" Kono asked, trying not to think of her team fighting the bad guys without her as she gestured to the large flower arrangement.

"Lili," Adam began.

"That was so sweet of her." Kono responded of his housekeeper.

"Tadao," Adam continued, referring to his House Manager.

"Oh, he didn't hav-"

"Yoshio," Adam added, referring to his Office Manager.

"Oh." Kono raised a brow in surprise.

"And,"

"And?"

"Kenta." Adam finished listing off, referring to his Chief of Security.

"They're lovely." Kono observed, and for some reason a little embarrassed.

"They are among the many that were worried about you." Adam said.

"I appreciate that. It was knowing that everyone was looking for me that helped me get through it. Please, tell them 'Mahalo Nui Loa' from me." Kono requested. "The red ones are quite large." She added, referring to the two red roses in the center of at least a dozen white ones.

"I uh, I think that those are supposed to represent us." Adam added. It was his turn to be a little embarrassed.

"Knowing Lili, you're probably right." Kono agreed with a grin that was almost flirtatious.

A nurse neither recognized entered, obviously at the beginning of her shift. After introducing herself she checked Kono's vitals; pleased that the IV antibiotics had finished. "Your labs came back, and your potassium levels are now back up to normal. Just use the call button if you need anything." She said before leaving.

"I think it's time for me to go, too." Adam said, sitting on the edge of her bed.

Her response was to raise a bandaged hand and wiggle a finger at him. Adam got the message and moved in for a goodbye kiss.

"I'll be back in the morning." He assured her. "Hopefully to spring you from this place." He added before standing.

Kono's only response was a gentle smile that reminded him of the first time they had met.

Just a moment later Adam had a hand on the doorknob when he stopped and quickly spun around, "Hey!"

Kono couldn't help but laugh, then smiled enough to show the breath-mint now clenched between her front teeth.

**Tuesday evening...**

"How's dinner?" Danny asked, noticing the rolling table in front of his teammate as the guys entered Kono's room.

"I wouldn't know yet. I've only advanced from an appetizer that wiggles to one that's lumpy." She responded, as she let oatmeal fall from her spoon back into the bowl. "I'm still waiting for real food."

"Give it time, Cuz." Chin spoke up, knowing how impatient his cousin could be at times.

"How was the take down?" Kono asked to change the subject.

"Two perps down, one hostage freed, zero casualties." Steve supplied, obviously pleased at the event's outcome.

"How did you know?" Danny asked, taking a seat near the foot of the bed.

Kono gestured towards the tv hanging high on the wall. "That reminds me," She began, while looking at Steve. "Thanks for getting the Governor to cooperate about the media coverage. The last thing my parents need is for those leaches to be parked on their front lawn."

Steve just gave a nod. He didn't want Kono finding out where the perps were right now and all the reasons the press couldn't find out. Poole and Johansen's four days of Five-0-style 'interrogation' would be long over and they would be ready for sentencing before Kono would be back at work. He just hoped she would drop the subject and be content to let her teammates take care of things.

"Did you learn anything else from their interrogation?" She inquired.

Well, so much for her dropping the subject.

"Mmmm, no. Not really." Danny mumbled.

"They really haven't had much more to say." Steve added.

Chin was quick to come up with information that would hopefully satisfy his cousin. "It's not like the DA's office will need more than they've already got. In addition to their confessions, Charlie confirmed your blood in the back of the getaway van, as well as DNA matches for Johansen to a bloody glove print in the parking garage and Poole to blood spatter from your kick to his jaw."

"Kono's roundhouse strikes again." Danny added with a proud grin, hoping to change the subject, or at least distract her from talking about the perps.

"We also recovered the Baretta 90 they shoved down your throat." Steve added, also attempting to shift the focus onto Kono.

Fortunately the subject did get changed as Dr. Patterson entered.

Danny quickly getting to his feet did not go unnoticed by his teammates. It wasn't often that the Jersey Detective was introduced to another man shorter that himself. Dr. Patterson was 5'3" at best, and Danny wasn't about to let this opportunity pass without enjoying it as much as possible.

It didn't take long for Patterson to examine Kono's feet before having the nurse re-bandage them while he talked to his patient. "I'm pleased that all the shards were successfully removed when I was here last night, Officer Kalakaua." He began, gesturing to her left foot. "The sutures look good, no signs of infection, all the foot needs now is time to heal. Your right foot on the other hand, is a different story. There are still three shards embedded in the heel that will take time to migrate enough to be extracted without breaking them. You will definitely not be walking for at least a week."

Although Kono was expecting to hear the words, confirmation of her mobility - or lack thereof - did not make her happy.

**Wednesday morning...**

"Oh my God, Danny, did you really just say that?" Steve asked rhetorically - because he really did not want an answer, especially an honest one - giving the other man a sideways glance as they exited the elevator.

Fortunately there had been no one else in the elevator, as Danny's face was nearly as red as the sliding doors that closed behind them as they began their walk towards Kono's room.

"I mean,... that is waaaaay more information about Rachel than I ever wanted to know." Steve assured his colleague when said colleague remained silent for once.

Danny just kept walking. "Yeah. Uh, I know. Sorry 'bout that." He mumbled, still feeling flushed with embarrassment.

"Sometimes you really do talk to much, Danno." Steve stated with an exasperated sigh as he returned his partners car keys he hadn't realized he was still holding, then opened the door to Kono's room and got one foot in the door before hearing...

"What is Detective Williams' topic of conversation regarding this time, Commander?" Max asked of Steve.

Steve looked as much like a deer in headlights at the ME's request for more information as Danny did. "So, having a party without us, Kono?" He asked, while taking in the crowded room and avoiding having to answer the question.

"Of course, Commander McGarrett. After all, we're all very relieved to have Officer Kalakaua back safely." Was the response from HPD's Chief Mahaka.

"Detective Walton was just telling us all about being the stand-in for the take-down." Governor Denning added.

Charlie Fong, Duke, and several members of the SWAT team were also in the room - and it appeared they had all brought flowers - swapping tales and filling in the details for Kono.

It was a nice way for Kono to begin what would hopefully be her going home day. She appreciated what everyone had done to help get her back, and had even gotten to meet Kapana and Prichard, who had discovered her in the former school building.

"Mahalo Nui Loa,... all of you." Kono said from her bed while looking around at everyone gathered around her. "I realize that I could still be there, still chained up like that, if you hadn't all pitched in to find me." It was uncharacteristic to see the kick-ass Five-0 member in what could only be described as an emotional and vulnerable moment.

Steve was quick to add is appreciation to everyone gathered as well, but had to add just one more detail, "We all wanted nothing more than to find you, Kono. But in the end," He paused, pulling something from his pocket. "You saved yourself." He said, laying the eraser on the small rolling table in front of her.

After a brief explanation of the eraser followed by a few parting words of appreciation from the Chief and Governor, the crowd soon departed. They hadn't been able to stay long, as everyone had to get to work.

Soon after Catherine arrived with Grace. They visited with Kono while the rest of Five-0 met with Governor Denning just outside her door.

"Were you scared, Auntie Kono?" Grace asked as she hopped. After adding her flowers to the quickly growing collection that threatened to obscure any horizontal surface in the room, it hadn't taken her long to discover that the square tiles on the floor made for a good place for an impromptu game of hopscotch.

"Sometimes." Kono honestly admitted. "Not all the time, but yes, sometimes I was scared, Grace." She added, hoping to set a good example about being honest with those you cared about.

Grace stopped after landing on just one foot, then looked up. "But why?" She asked. "Didn't you know my Danno would find you?" She added another question without her first being answered, then took another hop to land on both feet, obviously waiting for an answer this time.

"Well, yes Grace, I did know that your Danno would be looking for me." Kono agreed. She wasn't quite sure what else to say, after all the little girl had herself been abducted and had to wait for rescue.

"When I was three years old," The nine year old began as she resumed her hopping. "I got lost in the grocery store,... and my Danno found me." She said between hops. "When I was five, I rode my bike further than I was supposed to and got lost,... and my Danno found me." She paused to turn around and resume her game. "Then that bad man from New Jersey came to Hawaii and locked me in that storage place,... and my Danno found me."

"You were very brave." Kono praised the young girl.

"That's what my mom said." Hop. "I tried to be brave," Hop. "But every once in a while I still got scared." Hop. "Then I would just remind myself," Another hop. "That my Danno will always come for me."

Steve thought Danny's chest would burst as it swelled with pride as they listened from just outside the door.

Twenty minutes later Catherine had left with Grace, as she had promised Rachel that she would make sure the little girl got to school on time. Malia was in Kono's room visiting, and Chin was in the hallway outside the room; leaning against the far wall and trying not to laugh at his two colleagues.

"What's the big deal, Steven?" Danny asked with the roll of eyes and waving of hands.

"I've told you before, Daniel; do not eat the Yorks in my freezer." Steve reminded his partner in a frustrated tone.

"Oh, this from the health nut who drinks some kind of green juice after his 5 mile morning swim and offers my daughter organic goji energy snacks for Halloween. You probably wouldn't even allow chocolate to invade that body of yours."

Steve just rolled his eyes, again. "Another thing I've told you before; they're not mine."

"I've been finding those in your freezer long before Doris arrived." Danny accused with a smirk, as if defying Steve.

"They're Catherine's." Steve stated as his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ca-" That's as far as Danny mumbled.

Steve just nodded at first. "So, if you wanna continue to take your life into your own hands, just keep helping yourself to her chocolates."

For some reason Danny looked over to Chin who was still leaning against the far wall.

"Don't look at me, brah. I'm smart enough to know better than to get between a woman and her chocolate." Chin said.

"Ooh, did I hear something about chocolate?" Malia asked from the doorway as she exited Kono's room.

Steve and Danny just looked at each other. Woman's intuition?

"Yes you did. I was thinking you might enjoy an iced mocha. Whaddya say?" Chin smoothly suggested, as if he'd been planning to offer his wife the beverage all along.

Malia smiled and quickly hooked her hand through her husbands outstretched arm, and off they went.

Danny and Steve just watched the couple depart towards some unbeknownst-to-them coffee vendor somewhere in the hospital. "No wonder he's the only one of us that's married." Danny said in a low voice before they headed back into Kono's room.

"You go ahead, I'll be right in." Chin said to his wife as they were returning to Kono's room another twenty minutes later.

"Good to see ya, Kelly." Special Agent Thomas greeted as he approached Kono's door from the opposite direction.

"How'zit, Thomas." Chin greeted in return with a hand extended to the man who was now standing in front of him.

"I hear you got Officer Kalakaua back." Thomas said while shaking Chin's hand.

"Yes we did." Chin confirmed with a single nod and a relieved tone in his voice.

"Good to hear. And I'm not even gonna ask why the media isn't covering it." Thomas said with a glint in his eye.

"Then I'm not even gonna ask how you know about it." Chin was sure the FBI Special Agent had plenty of connections to find out anything he wanted. He was also sure he would never be told what or who those connections were.

Thomas smirked at Chin's reply before speaking, "Now maybe I can find out what was in that envelope."

"Turns out, it's nothing." Chin replied flippantly.

"Nothing, huh?" Thomas questioned. "Well, Kelly, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll ask her that myself."

"Actually, it isn't all the same to me." Chin insisted, somewhat politely.

Thomas was silent for a moment before speaking. Whether surprised by his friend's words or measuring him, who's to know,... maybe both. "Look, Chin, I know she's your cousin, but-"

"Which is exactly why you need to take my word for it, Thomas." Chin insisted, still polite, in a zen-like way that only he could pull off. "The envelope means nothing. The pics you took mean nothing."

Another silent moment from Thomas before speaking, "If you're sure-"

"I am." Chin immediately insisted.

The two men shook hands and parted ways only a moment later. Whether that part was professional courtesy or friendship, neither were quite sure.

Adam showed up a short time later, right at 10:30, with a take-out box Kono recognized immediately from the Downbeat Diner & Lounge.

"For me?" She asked hopefully, even though she already had her bandaged hands held out, her fingers wiggling in anticipation of her favorite breakfast food... or any 'real' food for that matter.

I still owed you a breakfast." Was Adam's reply, but he refused to put the styrofome box anywhere but on the small rolling table where he also opened it for her. It was bad enough she would have to struggle with a fork, he wasn't about to have her deal with the container as well.

"Loco Moko. Well done, extra gravy on the side?" Chin asked rhetorically.

"Of course." Kono answered as she attempted to pick up the fork. "And the best part is; it doesn't wiggle, and it's not lumpy." She added, since she'd had to endure jell-o and oatmeal after being allowed what her doctors considered food.

Adam gazed around the room, taking in the large number of flower arrangements that had arrived since he had left, then realized Kono was talking. "Hmm?"

"I said,... and this wasn't even on my list." Kono repeated.

It was obvious by the three looks she received that she would have to explain. So she did.

"So, to keep from wanting to strangle yourself with your own chains due to boredom you made 'lists'?" Danny sought to confirm.

"Mhmm." Kono mumbled around a mouthful of loko moko.

"A list of things you were pissed off about, a list of your injuries, and then a list of food?" Steve ticked off on his fingers, with an emphasis on the last one.

"Mhmm." Came another mumble from Kono. She really was enjoying her loko moko.

"I'll be sure to tell Lili. It's safe to say she already looks forward to feeding you." Adam said.

"I'm pretty sure full solids isn't the menu I authorized for you, Officer Kalakau." Came Dr. Jacobs' voice.

Kono stuffed the loaded fork into her mouth and pulled the take-out box just a little closer to herself, almost protectively.

Dr. Jacobs was a wise woman and knew how to choose her battles carefully. So, instead of giving her patient a nutrition lecture she chose a different route.

"I'm very pleased with both your hydration and potassium levels." She redirected, leafing through pages of lab results. "Now all we need to discuss is your care arrangements."

"Care arrangements?" Kono asked after swallowing what she hoped wasn't her last bite of loko moko.

Jacobs set the paperwork on the foot of the bed as she stepped closer, "Well, let's see; first off, you will be in a wheelchair for about a week, or until your left foot heals enough that we can transition you to crutches, and you have only minimal use your hands for the next 3-5 days because of the bandaged blisters. So, yes, Officer Kalakaua 'care arrangements' are in order here."

Well, at least the doctor finished with a smile.

Kono let out a heavy sigh. She wasn't sure which was worse; not being independent or being a burden to others.

"I'd offer you my guest room, but I've got stairs in my house, so that doesn't sound too helpful." Steve said apologetically.

"I'd offer you my guest room, but, I don't have one." Danny said, also apologetically.

"Neither will be necessary, gentlemen." Adam spoke up before Chin even had a chance to chime in on the topic. "I've already made arrangements. That is if it's alright with Kono, of course."

"Adam," Kono began.

"Let's hear it." Jacobs requested before Kono could object.

"Well, I certainly have plenty of extra room."

"Adam," Kono attempted again.

"But I have a feeling she will want a little more independence than that," He quickly added.

Okay, that got her attention.

"... and since I have several hotels at my disposal..."

"But she'd be alone." Danny objected.

"Each hotel has handicapped units available... many of which are not in use." He quickly pointed out, knowing that she would not be willing to utilize one of the rooms if it meant it being unavailable to someone who genuinely needed it. "They are arranged to accommodate such things as wheelchairs, and you have 24/7 room-service any time someone isn't there with you."

"Sounds perfect." Jacobs announced with finality.

"Do I even get a say in this?" Kono huffed, feeling like the decision was being made without her approval.

"Depends." Jacobs said.

Kono just gave her a look as if to ask, _'On what?_'.

"On if you want me to sign your release papers or not." Jacobs answered the unasked question, then continued. "A hotel room gives you some privacy, and a handicapped layout is ideal."

"I've got four hotels for you to choose from, and don't worry, I know what you're thinking,... if anyone needs the room..." Adam assured her.

It didn't take long for Kono to agree on the arrangements.

"Dr. Patterson will be in again this afternoon to check on the sutures in your feet, someone from Physical Therapy will be in to assign you a wheelchair, and a nurse will remove the CVC line. Then we can get you out of here before the day is over. How's that?" Jacobs said.

"I get out of here today?" Kono asked in return, but didn't wait for an answer, "Sounds perfect."

**Later that day, about 4:30pm...**

"Officer Kalakaua," Dr. Jacobs called to Kono as she sat waiting to get in Adam's car.

Kono looked towards the voice calling her, as it was just easier than attempting to turn the wheelchair with bandaged hands.

"I brought you something." Jacobs said, displaying a large pizza box.

"Ham and pineapple?" Kono guessed, and hoped.

"Just as I promised." Jacbos answered, handing the box to a man that she guessed was a driver.

Goodbyes were quickly said, flowers and patient were efficiently loaded, and soon they were off.

A short time later they arrived at the hotel, and Adam wheeled her into her room where her team was waiting.

Kono was glad to be out of the hospital, glad the hotel idea had worked out, and glad the people she cared about most were there with her.

After being wheeled into the center of the spacious living area, Kono just looked around at them all; Adam and her team. She smiled, and held out her hands.

They got the idea; group hug.

"Mahalo Nui Loa" She told them.

**HAWAII FIVE-0**

"Mahalo Nui Loa" = Thank you very much.

HPD's Chief Mahaka is from one of my previous stories.

In S1 E13, where Danny is getting ice from Steve's freezer, it looks like a York Peppermint Patty that Danny helps himself to. I could never figure that would have been Steve's, so in my story I decided that it was Catherine's stash, because that just makes more sense to me.

Downbeat Diner & Lounge is from S1 E23, when Kono tells Chin, "This place makes a kick-ass loko moko."

The next chapter is tentatively titled 'Venus vs. Mars' because Kono and Adam will each be recounting the same thing... obviously very differently, and the following chapter is the Winter Ball, which as already finished.

Please leave a review before you go!


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